Two Harts - Missing Parts
by adcgordon
Summary: The Hart to Hart episode titled "Two Harts are Better Than One" shows us how Jonathan and Jennifer met and how they were engaged. But just what happened after they climbed into that carriage and Max carted them around London-town? That's where this story picks up...the progression of Jonathan, Jennifer to the Harts we know and love!
1. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 1

**Howdy Reading Friends and Hart to Hart fans! :) This story takes us back to Jonathan and Jennifer's first meeting, and how their relationship might have progressed if the "Two Harts are Better Than One" episode hadn't ended at the marriage proposal on Tower Bridge.**

 **Parts of this story will be M (or Mature) because of sexual content.**

 **I hope you'll enjoy it and please, leave me your reactions. I love your comments and input and ideas! Readers reactions spur my imagination. ;)**

 **Last but not least, thanks for reading!  
adcgordon  
#RediscoveringH2H**

* * *

 **Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 1**

" _Jonathan?" She hesitated until he gave her the slightest signal that he was listening to her. "Why me?"_

The beautiful red-headed woman remembered asking her husband that line five years prior. She sat up slightly in the bed, adjusted her pillow and continued thinking about that particular conversation and all of the chaos that had led to it.

She laughed to herself, then stopped abruptly, remembering that a man, a friend of hers, had lost his life in the middle of her frantic fall into the world of love. Her casual, unintentional run-in with the infamous millionaire, Jonathan Hart, had turned into a life-changing event for both of them.

Five years later she looked at the dark-haired, gorgeous man sharing her bed and still wondered that same question – although he had answered it time, and time, and time again; more than satisfactorily.

All of the thoughts put together took her mind back to that magical two weeks. A portion had been spent in this very hotel suite; at least a few hours in this very bed; and portions of those hours still brought shivers through her entire body.

 _Jonathan pointed to the Tower Bridge as huge signs opened up to reveal his message. Jennifer had offered him two minutes of her time but was far more bothered by this man and anxious to catch her flight home._

 _But instead of rolling her eyes at his pitiful attempts at excuses she found herself staring at a marriage proposal. She tilted her head and read the signs again before glancing at Jonathan – the millionaire savior of Kingsford Motors whom she had fallen head over heels in love with but was damned if she'd admit that to him before this moment._

 _Her mind flew back over the past few days. In a matter of seconds she recalled trying every avenue she could imagine to get an interview with the self-made, internationally-known businessman. Her mind focused on just how handsome he really was when she accidentally sat down beside him in the hotel bar. She relived the moment he put his arms around her and they danced, spending the entire evening together without him even knowing her real name._

 _Then it skipped to a falsified news story, a murder, her identity revealed, and a police chase. That fiasco led to their first kiss and then her kidnapping. But Jonathan had rescued her…before having her arrested._

 _Her mind swam. Then she laughed. She turned around and looked at the boyish face of the man who was proposing to her and she giggled like a school girl._

 _To Jonathan's delight she smiled at him. "But I have an apartment in New York and you live in Los Angeles," she claimed as he stood waiting for her answer._

" _I don't want your apartment, I want you," he stated plainly._

" _But…all my clothes are in New York," she tried again._

" _They have nice clothes in Los Angeles," he rebutted._

" _What am I supposed to tell my father?" She sighed, smiled and waited for whatever answer might roll off his lips._

" _Tell him… someone loves you, and you're getting married."_

 _Jonathan's words reverberated in her ears. He was putting words into her mouth but for the life of her she couldn't think of any excuse to counteract what he was saying. So she had nervously bit on her bottom lip as she smiled at him and handed her airline ticket to the woman who was trying to sell them flowers._

 _And then he kissed her._

 _They rode around in the carriage with Max at the helm, somewhat, for the next hour as the reality began to sink in. Jonathan had wrapped his arms around her immediately in the soft leather seat and kissed her more than soundly as the equestrian hooves clacked along the British streets._

 _Jennifer noticed that his smile was as wide as hers. She also noted that he didn't want to let her go, even after asking her if she'd like some champagne. He almost begrudgingly lost contact with her for just a few moments as he reached into the picnic basket at their feet to retrieve the bottle and two glasses. As soon as he had a firm grasp on the Dom Perignon and handed the glasses to her, his arm was once again around her shoulders._

 _They sipped the sweet bubbles slowly without a lot of conversation. Jennifer smiled. She found herself very comfortable with this man that she had barely known for seven days. She let herself relax, letting her head fall against him and fully enjoying his strength surrounding her._

 _She recalled after their first evening out together that she had nearly ended up in his bed. Had he not fallen asleep from jetlag she wondered if they would've already reached that bit of marital bliss that she was suddenly craving, yet fearing._

 _Jennifer breathed in deeply for a moment and held the breath._

" _Jonathan?" she pulled away from him ever so slightly and turned in the seat to look at him._

" _Hmmm?" he wondered and put his hand against her back, trying to urge her to come back into his arms._

" _You…" she thought about what she wanted to say, "You proposed to me. Marriage, I mean… You asked me to marry you. In front of all of London, England, practically… you proposed…to me."_

 _The thoughtful yet scared look on her face worried Jonathan only slightly. He had been a man of means for many years. He had built himself up with confidence, business knowledge and know-how, truthfulness and trust. He tried not to take advantage of situations because of his wealth. He tried not to influence others' decisions unless he truly felt his ideas would better serve their purpose. He knew a few women had shared his bed due to his finances. And, at first meeting, he thought Louise Talbot might be another of those women – until her real name came to light - Jennifer Edwards._

" _Yes," he responded with a smile and a tilt of his head, "I did. And you said 'yes', and we kissed on it. No going back now."_

 _He leaned in to try and kiss her lips but a slight push from her hand to his chest stopped his effort._

 _His eyebrows creased with a true sense of worry creeping ever so slightly into his heart._

" _I don't recall saying 'yes'," she answered, looking slightly away from him, hand still pressing against his heart. "You never gave me a chance to answer. You told me to tell my father that someone loved me and I'm getting married. But I don't believe I ever answered you."_

" _Jennifer…"_

 _Finally she brought her eyes back to his body, looking at her hand on his chest, which she still didn't move. Jonathan reached out with his thumb and index finger, using them on her chin to coax her into meeting his eyes._

 _Her hazel eyes gave away the nervousness she was feeling in her heart. She could see the touch of hesitancy in his blue irises and gently sucked in a deep breath._

 _"Ask me again?" she spoke softly. "I mean, face to face, ask me, please?"_

 _Jonathan smiled. Miss Jennifer Edwards, investigative reporter, hard core, get to the bottom of the story…most gorgeous woman he had ever met…was his. All he had to do was ask._

 _He smiled at her, his heart's deepest feelings showing only to her in that moment. And as Max pulled the carriage to the side of the street in front of The Ritz hotel, Jonathan did the one thing he could think of – he slid off the seat and onto one knee in front of Jennifer, Max and a few dozen people who were milling about the London street._

" _Jennifer Edwards," he sighed almost nervously as she smiled down at him, "We've known each other almost a week now," they both chuckled at the thought. "But I'm sure, right here, right now, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."_

 _He reached for her hand, and smoothly caressed her fingers with his thumb. He watched their fingers intertwining for another second before looking back at her with a face more yearning and determined than he had shown any potential business partner._

" _Please, will you marry me?"_

 _Jennifer smiled widely. "You love me?"_

 _Jonathan kept her hand in his and steadied himself against her knees. "From the moment we danced together and you put your head on my shoulder," he admitted._

" _You thought my name was Louise Talbot," Jennifer remembered the moment._

" _You're avoiding my question…" Jonathan led her mind back to the present. "Jennifer?"_

" _Yes?"_

" _Yes?" He squeezed her hand for good measure until he was sure their minds were in sync again._

" _Yes." She gazed into his eyes and time stood still for those few seconds. She moved her hands to the back of his neck and gently ran her fingers through the bottom fringes of his well-groomed hair. "Yes, Jonathan Hart, I will marry you."_

 _And when she instigated the kiss that practically knocked him over, Jonathan would've fallen to the other side of the earth if it meant staying attached to her lips._

 _Max helped the two of them out of the carriage and watched them walk into the hotel lobby hand in hand, blushing smiles on both their cheeks, practically screaming to anyone who might see them that they had just been making out because they were engaged to be married!_

 _The older man shook his head at the teenage-esque couple as he handed the horses' reigns back to the stable-hand._

 _Jonathan was like a little brother to Max. For years he had watched the younger man work and strive to meet goal after goal. He had witnessed failures and watched Jonathan pull himself back up in order to start again and find success. Hart Industries was a conglomerate of companies that Jonathan Hart had forged. He had a personal hand in each one and knew his namesake company inside and out._

 _Women had been a sidebar for Jonathan. He had had girlfriends. Max knew of two women who had been particularly close to him, but Mr. Hart's heart had never leaped out of his chest for those ladies like it had for Miss Edwards._

 _Max thought perhaps Jonathan had hit his head when he took that unintentional dip in the Thames during the chaos that had been the couple's courtship. But the more he thought, the more he realized it was much deeper than that._

 _After just one week this woman had almost kept Mr. H. from a huge business deal. And more than once the millionaire had put his life on the line for her._

 _Max smiled to himself. She said 'yes'. He wasn't sure what exactly that meant for him. At the moment it didn't matter. He was witnessing a side of Jonathan Hart that he had never seen. It was a side that he hoped he could witness for many years to come._

" _My clothes…" Jennifer had barely had a moment to breathe, let alone think, after Jonathan had unlocked the suite and the two had stepped inside the door._

 _Her jacket had been removed and casually tossed onto the couch. Her properly-tucked blouse was now halfway untucked with the top buttons hanging by proverbial threads thanks to less-than-nimble fingers nervously trying to push them through all-too-tiny buttonholes._

 _His overcoat was in the floor, suitcoat wadded up a couple of steps further into the room with his necktie now decorating a lamp on the side table. His shirt begged for more buttons to be undone._

 _The happy couple, however had gotten so lost in their kisses that neither could truly explain how they ended up, still-clothed, sitting on the couch enjoying the tastes of each other's skin joined by the leftover sweetness of the champagne._

 _Jennifer clung to the collar of his shirt when Jonathan had moved his sublime lips from her mouth to her cheekbone and then down to her neck. Jonathan had forced himself to stay conscious when her tongue had practically devoured his earlobe. Together their jagged breaths sounded like a marathon had just been finished._

 _His push to release just one more button on her top had prompted her thought about true reality._

" _My clothes…"_

" _Are still on your body and I would like to remedy that situation right now," Jonathan strained to move his eyes from the skin of her chest that he was seeking to uncover, back to her bewildered look._

" _No, Jonathan, seriously," Jennifer began without truly trying to stop him…yet, "my clothes… all the clothes I had with me in London, except what I'm wear'… what I was wearing…" she added with a sarcastic smirk, "are on their way back to New York."_

" _So?" Jonathan tried to ask the question honestly without success._

" _So…" Jennifer took in a deep cleansing breath and pushed against his strong shoulders reluctantly. "I have nothing to change into. I have NO clothes to wear except these." She gestured to her half-dressed self._

 _Jonathan grinned. "I'm okay with that."_

 _She tilted her still-coiffed head and blinked her eyes accusingly. "I'm not."_

" _Why not?" Jonathan leaned away from her, reaching a hand to rub on her shoulder. "Why exactly do you need more clothes than these for the next… let's say the next week?"_

 _Jennifer's eyes widened and her mouth opened. "Jonathan! What? I can't be here another week! I have work to do. I'm supposed to be on a plane back to New York City right now. I have a deadline to make in two days. I need other clothes to wear on the plane. I need clothes to wear tonight… Tonight… Where… my apartment… I've already turned in my keys… where am I going to stay tonight?"_

 _Jonathan did his best not to interrupt her thinking out loud. But obviously she wasn't thinking – at least not on the same lines as he. He waited for her to take a breath and then smiled._

" _Jennifer, Darling," he started calmly and slowly. "You are going to be my wife. We are engaged. I asked you to marry me and you said 'yes'. Do you recall that conversation? Well, both of those conversations?"_

" _Yes, of course I do, but Jonathan that doesn't change the fact that my boss in New York will be looking for me. I'm supposed to call my father when I get back home… oh, my father…" She looked again at Jonathan's magnificent face and shook her head. "He is truly not going to believe this."_

 _Jonathan smiled and scooted back to her side. He leaned against her and took her face into his hand. He pulled her lips toward him and then gently clasped both of his hands over her cheeks as he began to kiss her as passionately as he possibly could in their present setting._

 _She blinked her eyes, barely able to conceive of what he was doing other than giving her a pleasure in which she would happily drown. His lips worked magic against hers, so much so that she forgot whatever was worrying her and finally gave in, kissing him back, intently, like a loving wife would kiss her husband…she imagined._

 _When Jonathan took a moment to pull away, only millimeters from her lips, only to gather another breath before diving in once more, she sighed._

" _What the hell, I'll just stay here tonight. Max'll probably see me naked."_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 1 - Two Harts**


	2. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 2

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 2**

 _It was after 8:00pm before the happy couple came up for another breath of reality._

 _Jonathan had fixed his mind on taking things as slowly as possible. The fleeting thought that he truly didn't know anything about this woman crossed his mind a couple of times. But it was at those times that she found the exact spot on his collarbone with her lips…the spot that spoke far too loudly to other parts of his male anatomy._

 _The two remained tangled, in various positions, on the couch with semblances of clothing still covering their most intimate parts. A beeping from Jonathan's watch on the side table broke that particular intimate moment enough that Jennifer leaned back to observe the situation. Jonathan allowed her to separate from him just a few inches and then watched her carefully, adoringly, questioning her thoughts, yet so entranced by her that he wouldn't even try to speak._

 _Jennifer giggled._

" _I feel like a school girl," she admitted with blushing cheeks – or were those marks of love from his lips._

 _Jonathan smiled ever-so-slightly. His nose twitched as he breathed in her scent. Although she was sitting on his lap, practically, he still reached a hand to her bicep to stay in close contact with her._

" _What?" he wondered about her thought._

" _I," Jennifer stared into his mesmerizing, blue eyes and smiled, "I feel like I'm in high school and we should be in the back seat of a car at some Look Out Point where my father or the police are going to come knock on the window any minute." She laughed quietly._

 _Jonathan rubbed his hand up and down her arm, gently caressing it as he listened to her voice. "We can make that happen if you'd like." His eyebrows wiggled and his smile grew a bit bigger as her eyes grew wide._

" _No," she said slowly before lifting her index finger to wipe off a bit of lipstick that somehow remained on the corner of his mouth, following their hours of necking and mouth to mouth antics._

" _Good, because if your father shows up here…now…I'm afraid I can't let him take you home."_

 _Jonathan shifted them so that Jennifer's back was against the arm of the couch. He kept her legs in his lap but situated them for more of a conversation, at least for a few minutes, than their previous activities._

 _Jennifer took in a long breath and looked at the man who was staring at her face. She placed her palm against his cheek and ran her thumb along his cheekbone._

" _Are you ok?" He wondered seriously._

 _Jennifer nodded. "I'm just not sure if I'm in disbelief, or maybe I'm dreaming, or… I think I just need a few minutes to think about the last few hours." She smiled at him and leaned forward to place a kiss on his lips._

" _What's there to think about?" Jonathan relished the feel of her hand on his cheek, the sound of her voice, the look on her face and even her unkempt hair that was just beginning to come loose from the tight hairdo that she had worn each time he had seen her._

 _Jennifer sighed and looked at herself as well. "You…" she glanced back at his face and grazed her teeth over her bottom lip as she thought._

" _Yes?" Jonathan raised his eyebrows. "I'm what?"_

" _You're Jonathan Hart."_

 _The right side of Jonathan's lips curled up in a mischievous, boyish grin. "That's what they tell me," he laughed one little chuckle. "Would you like to see my driver's license?" He reached toward his back hip to retrieve his wallet and then began to look around, finding the black leather container peeking out from the couch cushions._

" _Now how'd that get back there?" Jennifer watched him retrieve the money holder which he opened and produced his California identification._

" _Either you were copping a feel of my toosh, or WE were squirming around enough to make it fall out of my back pocket." He directed the line at Jennifer, tilting his head down to try and seem more serious._

 _Jennifer smiled and wagged her own eyebrows at him. "I'll admit… it may have been a little of both."_

 _The two smiled at each other before leaning in, almost instinctively, to share a sweet kiss._

" _But Jonathan," Jennifer leaned back against the arm of the couch and crossed her legs on top of his thighs, seeming very comfortable. "I've spent two months here in London, working on stories, making connections and focusing on Kingsford Motors. At the very hint that you might be the financial savior of that company the whole town was in an uproar."_

" _Rumors spread like wildfire. We are all lucky SIR Charles and his henchman didn't completely ruin the deal." Jonathan leaned back, and rested his arm on the back of the couch._

" _Right…" Jennifer watched his business persona come into focus. "You know I still have a story to finish, right?" she balled one hand into a fist and leaned her chin down on it._

" _What are you getting at?" Jonathan tilted his head to look at her._

" _I tried and tried and TRIED to get into your room, to get the story about you and Kingsford Motors. You shot me down at every turn and when we first met you didn't have a good word to say about me." She watched Jonathan suck in a breath as he remembered their conversation in the bar._

" _And yet," Jennifer continued, "after nearly being killed, more than once, you want to marry me?"_

" _Yes," Jonathan answered simply. He took another deep breath and let his face once again resort to that of a content man._

" _Yes?" Jennifer responded with a quick shake of her head. "Yes? That's it?"_

" _Yes," Jonathan nodded, raising his eyebrows but avoiding direct contact with her eyes, "after nearly being killed, after rescuing you, after watching you admit your real name… after finding a rose on my pillow…" He stopped and looked into her eyes that were watching his every expression._

" _All it took was the rose?"_

 _Both of them smiled together. He had wanted more that night. Had he stayed awake she may have provided more for him that night, thanks to the champagne and the hours of company they had experienced together._

" _I knew who you were the minute I sat down beside you in the bar," Jennifer admitted._

" _Thus the double vodka martini, straight up?" Jonathan recalled glancing at the gorgeous redhead as she ordered the strong drink and then effortlessly slid the olive off the toothpick and responded to his advances._

" _Mmm-hmmm," Jennifer nodded her answer. "Max had just told me to buzz off and then there I was sitting right next to you."_

 _"Fate has a funny way of dealing the hands, huh?"_

" _You think that was fate?" Jennifer tilted her head to rest her neck._

" _Had to be," Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. "Otherwise do you think you'd be here right now?"_

 _Jennifer looked directly into his eyes. They held their gaze for a long moment before she responded. "Here's to fate."_

 _The two met again for another kiss, short, sweet and simple._

" _Are you hungry?" Jonathan asked after another half hour of just sitting together in near silence._

 _Jennifer thought for a moment. "Starving, to tell you the truth." She wriggled out of his embrace when he loosened his hold. "And I think I need to freshen up…" she added while looking down at her clothing that would never pass as business attire again._

 _Jonathan stood, pointed down the hall but then stopped before telling her where the bathroom was located. "Wait, come here," he took her hand, and began walking with her toward the bedroom._

" _Jonathan," she whined slightly, recalling the last time he attempted to show her this very room._

" _No, just give me a chance here, will ya?" he chuckled at her insecurity._

 _She sat down on the edge of the bed while he went toward the dresser._

" _I'll give you a couple of options here, okay?" Jonathan opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of his pajamas. "You can have these to sleep in tonight, or…" his voice trailed off as he walked to the closet and moved hangers around until he found what he was after. "Or, you can use this." He held up one of his dress shirts, freshly ironed with the collar creased precisely and cuffs looking as sharp as possible._

 _Jennifer looked at him with innocent eyes, curious yet still a little unsure._

" _I promise you I will do my best to be a perfect gentleman, no matter which you choose to wear. Scout's honor." He held up his hand as if he was taking an oath._

" _You were a boy scout?" She questioned. "That actually doesn't surprise me. And as for you being a gentleman… I would expect nothing less...unless…" Jennifer touched the silky garments that were lying beside her on the bed. She momentarily imagined what it would be like to wear his pajama top and to actually snuggle into bed beside him. Her breath hitched as she forced herself to look back into his face._

" _Unless?" Jonathan wondered._

 _Jennifer recovered slightly. "If I'm wearing your p.j.'s, what will you wear to bed?" she attempted to change the topic._

 _Jonathan smiled that smug little grin at her again. "You'll just have to wait and see."_

 _With that he turned to walk out the door._

" _Jonathan," Jennifer stopped him with a throaty call of his name. "Am I sleeping… with you?"_

 _To try and hide his own excitement at that thought Jonathan kept his back turned to her as he answered. "I would prefer that… but I guess Max's bed is also available."_

 _Jennifer walked into the master bathroom of the suite. For the first time in hours she was alone with her thoughts. She had taken a minute to re-hang his dress shirt in the closet. Her fingers had nervously smoothed over the collar of the pajama top. She glanced at the pants and knew her overnight attire was going to be a lesson in 'becoming a Hart'._

 _She liked that idea. The thought made her nervous and yet she liked it. Jennifer…Edwards…Hart._

 _She looked in the mirror and began taking the pins and combs from her hair to let her auburn locks flow loose over her shoulders. Would he like her hair down? He'd never seen it down or in wild chaos after a night of restless sleep._

 _She ran her fingers through her hair to fluff it up after being in a tight bun all day long._

 _Jennifer noticed the manual, straight-blade razor sitting on a towel by the sink. The can of Barbasol shaving cream and the bottle of more expensive aftershave sat next to each other. So, he wasn't an electric shaver kind of man. Suddenly she couldn't wait to watch him shave. And suddenly she couldn't wait to feel her cheeks against his, right after shaving…then again when his 5 o' clock shadow made its presence felt._

 _She began undressing, slowly, watching herself and laughing as she noticed that three of her six blouse buttons were hanging loosely from the cloth. Her camisole was stretched, reminding her that she wasn't the only one 'copping feels' of various body parts during their makeout sessions._

 _She sighed aloud. She couldn't remember him touching her chest…her breasts…because she had been so enthralled by his kisses that she really hadn't cared where his hands had landed on her body._

 _Jennifer had noted that a certain spot on his collarbone made his whole body ignite. She had heard his groans the first time she had kissed him there. Then the second time, when she sucked a little harder on his skin, she had felt a reaction from lower on his body._

 _She sucked in a deep breath then blew her bangs away from her eyebrows trying to cool herself._

 _Jonathan had put his bit of alone time to good use. After leaving her to choose night clothes, he had ordered room service then called his right hand man in Los Angeles with a short list of instructions for Hart Industries._

" _I'm taking another week in London, Harry. No, nothing wrong at all. I just want to make sure this Kingsford Motors stuff is all sealed and kosher. What? Well, yes, the lady in the pictures…she has a little something to do with… Harry, come on, I don't need a round of 20 questions right now. I promise I'll give you a full report when I'm back in the states. Just have DeAnn clear my schedule for the next week. I'll fly into New York and probably work out of the Manhattan office once I'm stateside again. Har- Harr-Haaarrry… please just work with me on this. I need to ask you another favor."_

 _Jonathan waited for his dear friend and trusted business cohort to stop asking random questions that Mr. Hart wasn't quite ready or prepared to answer just yet. He stopped listening to Harry long enough to think about Max…Max's plan to keep Jennifer from flying home to New York earlier in the day…and Jonathan's own plan to propose to her between saving the British automaking company and convincing Max to wear a powdered wig and chauffeur them around the city in a horse drawn carriage. Jonathan smiled at that last memory. Max bet on horses; Max didn't 'drive' them._

 _When Jonathan heard Harry calling his name from across the ocean he snapped back to his current idea. "I need a number for a reporter in New York named Jennifer Edwards. Can you get that for me, and call me back, please? She's at the Post…I think…maybe the Times. She's been reporting from here in London for the past…"_

 _Jonathan wished Harry's knowledge of his personal life didn't match Harry's knowledge of his business life. But unfortunately the two parts of Jonathan Hart's life crossed paths quite frequently. And so, Jonathan's only hope in this phone conversation was confession._

" _Okay…okay…Harry, here's the deal. Yes, that's Jennifer Edwards in the pictures. Yes, she has a lot to do with me staying in London for a while longer. No, I don't know where she works…yet…but I will find out – if you will please help me get a number. And Harry…you and Max are the only two people who need to know anything about this woman and me. Is that understood?"_

 _He could hear his friend chuckle, sigh and practically smile from ear to ear on the other end of the phone line._

" _Jonathan, is this serious?" Harry asked genuinely._

" _Yeah, Harry. It is."_

" _Here, she's listed with the Post. Here's her office number."_

 _Jonathan wrote down the numbers as Harry recited them from the New York paper._

 _His next overseas call connected him to Jennifer's office. They were expecting her home tomorrow but he planned to keep her all to himself across the Atlantic._

" _I understand MS. Edwards has been trying to reach me for several days. If she's still interested in an interview she can meet me on Thursday. I'm in England till Friday. That will be my only opportunity to chat with her. Can you get the message to her? She's very persistent. Have her call my hotel at this number…"_

 _The woman on the other end had bent over backward to take the message for Jennifer. She was willing to bet Jennifer would hop right back on a plane and head back to England for this interview. So she quickly dialed Jennifer's home number and left a message…_

" _Jennifer, it's Andi, you are not gonna believe this…I just talked to Jonathan Hart – THE Jonathan Hart! He's granting you an interview but he's still in London and will be there till Friday. Go back Jennifer! You can't turn down an interview with this guy. Give me a call once you're settled. I'll go ahead and tell Charles what's going on. Don't worry about coming into the office…just grab some sleep and go back to London. Good luck with Mr. Hart – be sure and tell me if he's as handsome in person!"_

 _Jonathan smiled. He was quite sure Andi would cover for Jennifer. Her deadline would be extended, as would her London adventure, as would their engagement celebration. He made his way back to the bedroom to check on his fiancée._

 _He headed straight for the bathroom after seeing the empty bedroom. He tried the knob on the door only to find it locked. Little noises on the other side of the door made him wonder if she had decided what to wear or if she was having second thoughts._

" _Are you okay in there?" His voice jolted her from the erotic memory she was enjoying._

 _She cleared her throat to answer him and heard his footsteps right outside the bathroom door. She was slightly bummed that she had closed and locked that door._

" _I, I'm… fine…" she stumbled. "Just…still trying to decide about what to wear." The answer was the truth. He didn't need to know why it was taking so long…did he?_

" _Jennifer," Jonathan started again softly. "I can have a concierge find a nightgown for you if you'd be more comfortable. Or…I've got two bathrobes. One is in there, the other is in the closet. You just tell me what you'd like." He paused for a moment to let her think. "Oh, and…I, I'll sleep on the couch if you want me to. Please don't think you have to sleep with me tonight. I'm realizing how fast this is all going. I apologize, I don't want to push you into anything." He leaned his head against the door, hoping that he hadn't already pushed too far._

" _Jennifer? I love you."_

 _Jennifer listened to his voice. He was apologetic; he was kind; he was thoughtful; and he loved her._

" _Jonathan?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _I…I love you, too."_

 _His smile radiated through the door. It didn't matter what she was wearing when she came out of the bathroom. His clothes, her clothes, no clothes… Her sentiment was all he needed to know his future was sealed. Jennifer Edwards, journalist extraordinaire, was going to be Mrs. Jonathan Hart._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 2 - Two Harts  
**


	3. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 3

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 3**

 _Jennifer had stripped down to the bare basics. The cream-colored, no-frill bra somewhat matched the silk, off-white panties that she had chosen to wear for her long flight back to the states._

 _Instead, here she stood, in front of a bathroom mirror in a hotel penthouse suite, where a man was waiting for her to decide if she wanted to wear HIS pajamas, HIS robe, or the outfit that the good Lord had given her. She blushed at that thought._

 _A man…a man who had asked her to marry him…a man who said he was in love with her…a man that, she thought, she loved as well. She spent a moment reflecting on those thoughts._

" _Okay, Jennifer," she whispered to the mostly-naked woman in the mirror. She blew a breath out through her lips. "He has excited you, come to your rescue, wined and dined you…and kissed you into oblivion."_

 _She nervously reached over to the sink and picked up the bottle of aftershave, holding it under her nose and taking a slow whiff of the scent…his scent._

 _Even men that she had dated for several months, some that she had known for years, hadn't made her feel the way Jonathan Hart had made her feel in just a matter of days. He had frustrated her, aggravated her, intrigued her, and surprised her. In more ways than one he had already surprised her._

 _They hadn't talked much in the carriage during their post-proposal ride through the city. She had tried to ask him how on earth he had arranged to have the proposal put into signage form and hung from the Tower Bridge. He had answered simply, "I know a few people."_

" _Duh!" she let her thoughts trail into a one-sided spoken conversation._

 _She thought about the immediate feelings she had had when he had opened the door of that cab and asked her to give him just two minutes of her time. If she had ever wanted to hit someone it was Jonathan Hart at that moment. It was his fault she was taken out of the airport. It was his fault she had missed her flight. She had been truly angry looking at his face._

 _And yet, if she would admit it, she had been truly relieved to see him again. Once their crime-fighting, mystery-solving escapade had finished she really didn't think their paths would cross again. But there he was._

 _There was his handsome face. There was his snazzy, business suit. There was the ring on his pinky finger. And there he stood, gazing at her with one of the most contented looks possible on any man she had ever witnessed. She recalled him fidgeting with the ring on his pinky finger as she pouted and made excuses._

" _Turn around," he'd said. "Please, turn around."_

 _She had furrowed her eyebrows, turned reluctantly and then watched as he pointed toward the bridge and the massive words unfurled. A marriage proposal… She had looked at it, read it and then read it again before laughing._

 _She now looked in the mirror and shook her head at herself. Even with all they had been through he wanted to marry her. He had gone out of his way to keep her in London while he finished his important business deal so that he could propose to her._

 _And, try as she might to give him excuses, he had an answer for every one of them._

 _Jonathan rapped his knuckle against the bathroom door. "Jennifer?" He was only slightly surprised that she was still in the bathroom. He could imagine that, like him, she was reliving the day's events over and over again._

 _She blinked her eyes and stretched her eyelids as she looked again at herself in the mirror, still clad in only her underwear._

" _I – I'm almost done…uh…ready…I – I mean," she glanced around at her clothing options one more time._

" _It's okay," Jonathan responded easily. "Take your time. I just wanted to tell you that food's here. I hope chicken is okay? I'm sorry, I didn't ask. I took a chance that you're not a vegetarian…although there are green beans and salad too. But I can always call and get you something else…" he realized that he was rambling._

" _No, no," Jennifer spoke up, thankful for a slight break from her wardrobe dilemma. "Chicken is great. I'm sure it's great!" She worked to sound excited and grateful. "I'm starving. I'd probably even eat kidney pie if you'd ordered it," she joked and then cringed. That really was a British dish that she didn't like._

" _Well that's not a favorite of mine, but if you want some…" he offered but smiled, feeling that she was joking._

" _Oh, please no! Chicken will be perfect!" she emphasized her happiness with his choice._

" _I really will be out in just a minute," Jennifer added._

 _Jonathan ran a finger down the outside of the door. "As long as I know you're here and not half way around the world, you can take all the time you need."_

 _She heard the sincerity in his voice and placed her fingers on the silky material of his night clothes. Jennifer really didn't have a verbal response for him. His words sank into her heart and made it beat a little bit faster._

 _If she spent the rest of her life hearing lines like that from this man – which is what she suspected – then fate, God, or some higher power in the universe had led her down the right path and into Jonathan's arms._

 _She took a deep cleansing breath and picked up the pajama top. The buttons were large enough to maneuver easily. She decided her undergarments should stay on. She didn't want to be presumptuous…or too easy for that matter…even with her FIANCÉ._

 _She smiled and slid the garment over her arms. The long sleeves covered most of her hands so she rolled them up slightly before buttoning three of the five closures. The top covered her hips and stopped mid-thigh. Staring at herself in the mirror she thought just one more time about the craziness of this whole scenario._

 _Was she really getting ready to climb into bed with a man she had known for barely a week, that she had agreed…to marry? Jennifer pictured that man in her mind and in her heart. HER Jonathan. She smiled excitedly. The answer to her question was simple… YES!_

 _She smoothed the material over her body before gathering her blouse, camisole and skirt from the floor. She folded them neatly and placed them on the corner of the sink. Then she turned and pulled his bathrobe from the hook by the shower curtain. She wrapped the furry cotton robe around her body and tied the belt to hold it together. With one more look in the mirror she decided she was ready._

 _Jennifer opened the bathroom door unsure if Jonathan was in the bedroom or if he had gone back to the living area. When she didn't see him on the bed she headed into the hall._

" _Jonathan?" She called in search of him._

" _In the living room, Darling," the sentiment rolled from his lips as though he had already spoken it a thousand times._

" _Darling?" She repeated the word as she stepped into his view._

" _Sorry," he began as he was setting plates on the small dining table. "Is that alright – Is that…" he hesitated as his eyes took in her changed appearance._

 _She had her hands in the pockets of the robe, trying to look relaxed and casual. "No, that's fine," she stopped and watched his eyes move from her bare feet, over her ankles and shins which were also bare, up the robe covering to her neck, which gave away the top of his pj's, and finally to her face and eyes that were now surrounded by her flowing hair._

 _He stood still, staring at her for the longest moment but she didn't dare say a word. Her first instinct was to assume that he liked what he saw. After another minute his eyes on her became slightly awkward._

" _Jonathan," she laughed softly and shifted her legs, taking her hands from the pockets and then clasping them in front of the knot on the robe. "You're staring at me."_

" _I won't apologize for that," he stepped toward her and lifted both his hands to run them through her hair._

 _Jennifer allowed herself to wrap her arms around his waist and link her fingers at his back, holding him close to her. Jonathan continued exploring her hair, her forehead and her cheeks with his hands._

" _You're beautiful," he looked directly into her eyes. "But you know that, don't you?"_

 _Jennifer blushed at his words. She blinked her eyes and leaned her face against one of his hands._

" _I like looking at you," he continued softly. "Your hair is magnificent. Your face is stunning…" he rubbed his thumb across her cheek and watched her eyes close as she apparently enjoyed his touch and his words. "I want to enjoy looking at you for the rest of my life."_

 _Jennifer tightened her hold on his body and didn't resist at all when he dipped his head to kiss her._

" _Mmmm," she hummed as his lips left hers, making Jonathan smile._

" _So I have your permission?" He asked._

 _She slowly opened her eyes, unwilling to relinquish her hold on him for several reasons._

" _Your permission?" she questioned through nearly-groggy thoughts._

" _To look at you every day for the rest of my life…" he explained with an amused grin._

" _Well, as long as you kiss me every day for the rest of my life then I guess I'll let you look at me," she submitted._

" _Mmmm," he returned her hum at that thought, glancing down at her choice of clothing and finding himself perfectly satisfied to see her in his top and robe._

 _He lowered his forehead to meet hers and nuzzled their noses together. "We'd better eat before I attempt to look at more of you, and start something that would take more energy than either of us actually has at this moment."_

 _Jennifer laughed at him. She gently smacked his chest and scrunched her nose to rub against his one more time before placing another soft kiss on his lips and moving to see the food on the table._

" _Food!" She took his hand and moved them to the table where room service had placed their order._

 _Jonathan poured a glass of water for each of them from the chilled bottle in the ice bucket. Showing her the bottle as though he were a waiter, she nodded, they both smiled and Jonathan sat back down to begin their late-night dinner._

" _No champagne this time?" Jennifer inquired._

" _That was all Max's doing the last time," Jonathan referred to the first night he brought Jennifer back to the suite._

" _Sure it was," Jennifer remarked with a sarcastic look on her face. "Or did he just assume you would be bringing a woman back to your bedroom?" She asked candidly yet slightly concerned about dipping into his personal habits._

" _No," Jonathan shook his head and raised his eyebrows. "Max knows me. I'm not one to bring random women back to a hotel, or my own bedroom at home for that matter. However he knows that on business trips that involve international travel, a glass of champagne at bedtime helps me sleep better and get rid of the jetlag that always seems to get me. And, in that particular case he was hoping the alcohol might ease the pain of a particular female journalist who was hounding me."_

" _Ah!" Jennifer gasped at his deliberate verbal accusation toward her._

" _I'm sorry, is it Jennifer, or Louise who was going to sleep with me that night?"_

" _Jonathan!"_

 _They shared a laugh knowing he was completely correct._

 _Jennifer thought about that night again. The cart with ice and champagne had been right beside his bed. And, Jonathan had taken to the bed very quickly, fully clothed._

" _So, Max…" Jennifer brought her attention back to their meal and conversation._

" _Um-hmm?" Jonathan cut into his grilled chicken and concentrated on stabbing a piece of it to finally take a bite._

" _Who is he, to you, I mean?" Jennifer began to get to know this man that would be her husband._

 _Jonathan chewed his food and swallowed before attempting to answer. He watched as Jennifer took a bite and savored the taste._

" _Max…" he leaned back in his chair, "Max is like a big brother to me, or an uncle maybe. Kind of a father figure, I guess… He's been my best friend, my right hand man, my encouragement, my… wow, he's a seasoned veteran who has learned about life from hard knocks and not the best circumstances."_

 _Jennifer continued eating but watched Jonathan carefully. She saw a softness in his eyes as he talked about this man whom he obviously loved._

" _So you've known him a long time?" She wondered._

" _Well, since I was 10 or 12 maybe. He kind of took me under his wing while I was still at the orphanage."_

 _Jennifer's eyes grew wide. She had heard, as with celebrity rumors, that this great businessman had come from humble beginnings. Now she was hearing some of his story first hand._

" _So it's true?" Jennifer didn't try to pass off the surprised look on her face._

" _That I was raised in an orphanage?" Jonathan nodded at her. "My parents were killed before I was three years old. The only childhood I can remember is at Mission Street. Nuns and a few other men and women took care of us. Volunteers came in from time to time. Some of the kids were adopted but I stayed as a ward of the state until I turned 18. It was fine. I learned a lot of lessons at a young age."_

 _He stopped there and took more bites to occupy his mouth while his words sank in with the woman he wanted to marry._

" _I don't want to pry," Jennifer watched him carefully, "but there's probably a lot of stuff we need to talk about before we get to the wedding." She smiled at him as he raised his eyes and met hers. The gentle upwards turn of her lips encouraged him._

" _It's not prying," Jonathan returned her smile. "It's getting to know one another, right?"_

 _Jennifer laughed. "Right. Getting to know one another before we get married, but AFTER you've proposed." She scratched her forehead with well-manicured but short fingernails._

" _Darling," Jonathan wiped his mouth with his napkin, placed it back in his lap and rested his wrists on the table, "the more I think about this the more I realize it seems like an arranged marriage. But, all I know is that I fell in love with you at that bar. You seemed agitated and frustrated and now I know why – I guess it was my fault, wasn't it?"_

 _They laughed and Jonathan reached out, asking to hold her hand. She gladly reached to him and immediately loved his touch, the way his hand wrapped around hers so naturally, and the feel of his thumb caressing her knuckles._

" _While you were sitting there, realizing who was next to you and coming up with a new name for yourself," he continued to gaze at her, "all I could think about was what I could do to make you feel better. From the moment we started talking I didn't want to let you out of my sight. Yes, maybe I did have an ulterior motive when I brought you up to this room at the end of the night… but mainly, Jennifer, I didn't want to let you go."_

 _The tears welled in her eyes as she listened to him. With a slight sniffle she smiled at him and adjusted her fingers to intertwine with his. She looked at their hands together and then back into his loving blue eyes._

" _I've never felt that way about anyone, Jennifer Edwards. Even with you calling me names and trying to persuade me that you weren't a killer; I was falling in love with you more and more."_

 _She squeezed his hand as a couple of tears dropped from her eyes._

" _I'm not sure what to say, except you aren't the 'heel' that I accused you of being when you had me carted off to the police station."_

 _The both laughed genuine, heartfelt laughs._

" _That was Max's idea." Jonathan quickly blamed his dear friend, but it was the truth. "I told him I couldn't do that. I knew you would never speak to me again."_

" _And yet now I'm sitting here wearing your clothes…"_

" _What can I say, I'm a very convincing man when I want something."_

" _Oh really?" Jennifer sat up straighter in her chair and propped her elbow on the table, leaning her chin down to rest on her hand. She watched her finger trace random shapes on the back of his hand, learning the pattern of his skin and imagining how skilled his hands might be._

" _I can be very stubborn," she tried to sound convincing, herself. "You should probably know that about me. So I only got out of that cab because I wanted to. It had nothing to do with your convincing abilities." She kept staring at their hands, enjoying each other, avoiding direct contact with his eyes._

" _Oh really?" Jonathan pressed his lips together, raised his eyebrows and pretended to consider that she was telling the truth._

 _He got out of his chair and stood in front of her, leaning over until their noses were practically touching. "Need I remind you of just a couple of hours ago, when I CONVINCED you to stay here with me tonight?"_

" _That was my choice. I'll admit your kisses might have played a part in my decision, but common sense told me it was just smarter to stay here, tonight, than trying to find a hotel room at this hour."_

 _Jonathan kissed her lips softly two times. "It had nothing to do with this?" He moved his lips over her cheek, spreading tantalizing kisses in their path, then under her ear, against her jawbone and down her neck._

 _She groaned involuntarily._

" _Damn it," she whispered before swallowing and attempting to catch her breath._

 _He reversed his path, leaving her even more breathless. Somehow her hands ended up on his biceps, clinging to them as he continued the barrage of kisses. When he reached her cheek again she couldn't fight the urge to turn and meet his lips with her own. Her hunger to taste his kiss made Jonathan smile._

" _So, am I convincing you of anything now?" he wondered without moving his lips away from hers._

 _Jennifer's eyes had closed. She used her hold on his arms to try and pull him closer as she pressed her lips harder against his. When Jonathan resisted, waiting for her to answer his question, she growled._

" _Yes, DARLING," she emphasized. "You're convincing me that we'd better get to know each other much more personally, right now, or YOU will be sleeping with Max tonight."_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 3 - Two Harts  
**


	4. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 4

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 4**

 _Their playful quarrel took them down the hall and into the bedroom where Jennifer took the lead, finally unbuttoning his shirt and beginning to get a hint of the man that was underneath. She splayed her fingers across his chest as she pushed the tailored shirt away from his muscles and off his body._

 _She stopped for a moment admiring his pectorals through the thin, white t-shirt that she found under his button-down collar. "I've…" she bit on her bottom lip and looked up at his unassuming face. "I've got that school girl feeling again," she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and then ran her tongue over it as she looked from his face back to her fingers on his chest._

" _Well, if Mr. Edwards happens to show up now I'm not even answering the door," Jonathan smiled at her gently. "No offense, but this is really the last moment I want to think about meeting your father."_

 _Jennifer giggled. "I know this isn't the time… but I'm still not sure what to tell him, and my mom." She sighed and pushed herself closer to his body._

 _Jonathan wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "You won't have to face them alone. I promise I'll be right there with you. You know I'm joking, right? It'll be an honor to meet your parents."_

 _Jennifer tiptoed and placed a kiss on his chin and one on his neck before laying her cheek over top of his heartbeat. "I'm glad to hear you say that," she slid a thumbnail between her teeth as she thought of that introduction. "My dad is going to be disappointed already that I accepted a marriage proposal without my BELOVED asking him for permission first."_

 _She wrapped her hands around his waist and held herself close to him, drinking in his scent and his warmth, relishing the feel of his arms encompassing her. Jennifer had never wanted to be 'owned' by a man; she was an independent woman. But being held like this, by this man, and the idea that he wanted to her to be 'his' made her more than happy._

 _She tried to slide her hands a bit farther down on his hips, almost innocently trying to touch more of his body in her effort to know him better. Jonathan stopped her._

" _Not yet," he moved his waist, asking her to leave her hands clasped comfortably around him._

" _I'm sorry?" she whispered and tried to glance up at his face._

 _His eyes were closed and he quickly moved his chin to readjust her face against his chest._

" _Jonathan?" Jennifer squeezed closer to him._

" _Sorry, Darling," he nearly hummed as he spoke quietly to her. "This just…it feels so…right." He placed a kiss in her hair and then just held the pose, taking another opportunity to memorize the being of this amazing woman._

 _Jennifer smiled against the sound of his heartbeat. "Um-HMMM," she agreed._

 _After a few more minutes of inadvertently swaying together and holding each other, Jennifer sighed._

" _What?" Jonathan questioned._

" _While I feel very comfortable standing here in your robe… I would feel even more comfortable if you, um, were… uh…"_

 _Jonathan chuckled against her hair. "If I were what? Naked?"_

" _Jonathan!" She laughed and leaned away from him to look into his face. The smirk was back, teasing her._

" _Wouldn't you like to change into something more comfortable?" she finally asked simply._

 _He looked at her, trying to decide exactly how to answer her question._

" _I left your pajama bottoms in the bathroom. Wouldn't you feel better in those instead of these stiff dress pants?" She continued trying to convince him._

" _Darling," he rolled his tongue around in his mouth, his nostrils flared slightly as he dared to respond to her. "If there's anything… 'stiff'… in these pants… It's your fault."_

 _Her eyes grew wide suddenly and her mouth dropped open with his insinuation. Before she could do anything more than gasp, he smiled and quickly captured her mouth with his. Jennifer pushed her hands against his chest, trying to separate them, without much effort or result._

 _She finally took the opportunity to let her hands drop back to his backside, massaging the muscles that were taut and firm – as she imagined they would be. She relinquished their kiss to let him trail his lips over her cheek and to her ear._

" _Jennifer," he whispered her name against the shell of her ear. "What would you like me to wear for you?"_

 _She hummed and felt her eyelids grow heavy as he spoke to her. Her heart pounded as she felt a heat roll through her body._

" _Whatever you want, Darling," he kissed the thin line of her ear sending a cold jolt down her spine, through the heat, making her jerk in his arms._

 _Jennifer's hands grasped his buttocks for stability, trying to keep herself upright, but also to pull him closer to her. And what she felt against her own thigh, through his thin pants and the thick robe she was wearing, made her crave him even more._

 _She took a deep breath and forced herself to find his lips for another searing kiss._

 _Jennifer breathed heavily, "Pajama… bottoms… bathroom…"_

 _Her eyes remained closed as she licked his taste from her lips. Jonathan fluttered his eyelids open only to witness the look of her face. Blushing cheeks, swollen lips, eyelids closed; he wanted nothing more in that moment than to find out how the rest of her body was responding to this round of foreplay._

 _He pressed himself a little more firmly to her, backing her up against the bed until he had her pinned. She didn't seem threatened, but he felt her body tighten at the action. She moved her hips slightly, trying intentionally to feel him where her body was responding the most._

 _In that moment she realized she was about to lose complete control and couldn't wait for him to do the same._

 _He bent his head and kissed her lips gently before relaxing his hold and waited for her to look at him._

 _When her eyes opened, reluctantly, she smiled shyly and stretched her neck to kiss him once more._

" _Pajama bottoms," she repeated with a few blinks of her long eyelashes._

" _Are you sure?" His voice was gravely, telling Jennifer that he was likely stretched nearly to his breaking point. Her confidence grew with that knowledge. This man was hers and she was eager to be as close to him as humanly possible._

 _Jonathan grit his teeth together and showed her the effort he was making to pull himself away from her._

 _As he stepped away, uncomfortably, and slightly shuffled his feet toward the bathroom door, she sat down on the bed watching him closely._

" _Don't…change…anything…" she pressed her lips together, thoughtfully attempting to get her point across without blatantly saying the sexual thoughts that were running rampant in her mind. "…except your trousers."_

 _Jonathan stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. He sucked in a long breath, smiled at her and shook his head. Since meeting her he had been shot at, punched and thrown into the River Thames. But at this moment, SHE was about to kill him._

 _In the bathroom he took a moment to look at himself in the mirror. He considered that her blushing cheeks and slightly swollen lips compared similarly to his. There was no lipstick on his face; that had all been kissed away and worked into their skin hours before._

 _He considered the past 10 hours or so of the day. His life had changed for the better._

 _Jonathan Hart, the businessman, was accustomed to making deals, merging companies and moving on to the next corporate level. But Jonathan Hart, the man who had no family to speak of; the man who hadn't thought about a 'settling-down' relationship, had happened upon a merger that he now wanted to continue for the rest of his life. Although he knew very little about the amazing woman in his bedroom, he was somehow sure that she would fill a void in his life, and make him a better man in the process._

 _The minutes away from her, along with random thoughts that Jonathan couldn't quite wrangle in his mind, deflated his initial attempt at their physical merger. He laughed at that thought._

 _He turned his back on the mirror, unbuckled his leather belt and pulled it through the belt loops. He wound the dark brown strap into a circular loop and sat it beside Jennifer's clothes on the sink. He looked at her garments and took a moment to run a finger over the smooth material of the blouse and the more coarse feeling of her skirt._

 _The thin strap of her camisole fell away from between the other items. He took it between his thumb and middle finger and caressed it. He could imagine what it would be like to slide that strap off her shoulder and the warm, inviting skin that he would find underneath._

 _The idea made him breathe slowly, his lower body becoming reinvigorated. He especially felt more alive when he realized that her other undergarments were still on her body._

 _Why did that excite him? Jonathan smiled to himself. Because it meant more exploration for him. And with her body, he planned to make the discoveries slowly and as methodically as possible._

 _She had told him not to change anything. So when he slid out of his trousers, he, as well, left his boxer shorts on, before sliding the slick material of the pajama pants over his legs._

 _He was grateful that she suggested he change into these. The looser material gave him room to grow, and a thinner barrier between him and her skin._

 _One more look in the mirror – he laughed and dipped his head in slight shame – he was primping for her. He stood up straighter, pumping up his manliness and his manhood as he thought about his fiancée, Jennifer, who was waiting for him on the other side of the door._

 _That thick, terry cloth robe, had to be the first thing to go._

" _Jonathan?" Her sweet voice called to him as he placed a hand on the doorknob to return to her._

" _Yes, Darling?" he opened the door to find her lying on his side of the bed. She was sitting up, pillows propped behind her, apparently getting a feel for the mattress and sheets that adorned the furniture._

 _He stood for a minute watching her watch him. She was still clothed the way he had left her. He remained in his t-shirt, doing as she instructed, only changing his trousers._

 _Jennifer smiled, enjoying a chance to see him from head to toe before getting up close and personal. He stood with his hands clasped together right at his waist. She could tell he was still aroused which made her body reheat without even a touch of his hands._

" _Do you have…" she stumbled slightly over the question, "ummm…" She placed the knuckle of her index finger on her top lip. With him in her sights she couldn't even think of the word she wanted to ask._

 _Jonathan dipped his eyebrows as he stepped closer to the bed. He opened the drawer of the bedside table to reveal an unnatural combination of items. Staring back at him was a Holy Bible, and a box labeled 'Trojan'. He pressed his lips together, reached into the drawer and grabbed the box._

 _Jennifer looked at the box and immediately blushed. "Yeah, that," she met his eyes and smiled sheepishly._

" _Should I be happy that it appears to be an unopened box?" she raised her eyebrows._

 _Jonathan looked at her with a slightly serious expression. "I told you, I'm not one to bring just any woman back to my bedroom."_

 _He held the box of personal protection in his hands and sat down on the edge of the bed, finally making a bit of physical contact with her as he pressed his hip against hers._

" _And," he continued seriously yet lovingly, "with that thought in mind, I will admit that I don't normally have THESE on hand." He raised the box and shook it slightly. "I don't carry one in my wallet and I honestly cannot tell you the last time I purchased any."_

 _Jennifer's eyes widened and then cringed, "Wait…" she pointed at the box, "leftovers from previous occupants?" her face nearly turned an ashen, sick color before Jonathan shook his head._

" _No," he stated easily. "Max," he stopped at the one word answers._

 _"Oh," Jennifer formed the word slowly, still with a questioning look on her face._

" _The man apparently knows more about me than I know about myself," Jonathan admitted._

 _Jennifer let the subject drop momentarily and nodded her head. Jonathan set the box on top of the table as he focused his attention on her, the way the bath robe was riding up higher on her legs and the way the robe's belt was beginning to come loose, revealing more of the cream colored top, and her tempting skin that sat beneath it._

 _He leaned over, placing one hand over her waist so that he could rest his upper body on hers. Jennifer used the tip of her index finger to brush a few strands of hair off his forehead. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and looked closely at his eyes, his nose and his mouth._

" _You're an amazingly handsome man, Jonathan Hart," she met his eyes with hers and swore that she could see his soul. The blue color of his irises was deep and clear and beautiful._

 _With his free hand he began to untie the belt, wanting her out of the robe. "And I," he pushed the heavy material out of the way, finally revealing how she actually looked in his top, "want to see more of your beautiful body, Jennifer Edwards."_

 _He began to push the three closed buttons through the cloth holes to see more of her. Jennifer gave him no resistance, only breathing in and out easily, watching his hands and waiting, anxiously for his touch._

 _When he was satisfied, seeing her nearly naked, she reached out with her hands to remove his shirt, now wanting her hands back on his chest, skin to skin. Jonathan let her explore, staying calm, yet brilliantly excited at the feel of her hands on his body._

 _She leaned forward and kissed him slowly, sweetly. His chest touched hers for the first time letting both feel the heat that radiated between them. When she leaned back, breathlessly, they again looked eye to eye._

" _What's your middle name?" she wondered in a whisper._

 _Without shifting his eyes or adjusting his adoring expression he answered her, "I don't know. As far as I know I don't have one, why?"_

 _Jennifer's eyes moved slightly between his, enjoying the way he was looking at her and his soft, gentle voice. She smiled seductively._

" _Just wondering," she grazed her teeth over her lower lip, tantalizing him, "what I might call out in the middle of making love to you…"_

 _She was pleased at his intake of air, the slow drop of his eyelids and the way his tongue moistened his lips._

 _Just before pressing his lips to hers he suggested with the deep voice of his arousal, "Let's find out…"_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 4 - Two Harts**


	5. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 5

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 5**

 _Jennifer stretched her arms above her head and yawned deeply. She used her fingertips to caress her eyelids until she was able to blink and open her eyes. "What a beautiful room," she thought to herself, glancing toward the window and the sheer curtains that covered them._

 _As her skin felt the smoothness of silk sheets and the ultra-soft pillow under her head she began to wake even more, her mind taking a little longer to recall the previous night than her body. The realization that she was nude under the covers startled her, as did the slight soreness between her thighs._

 _She lay still for several moments worrying about those thoughts. And then she began to bask in the memories that started flooding her brain and body. She couldn't help the smile that spread widely over her face as she turned and looked at the other nude body that was still asleep beside her._

 _Jennifer reached her hand out instinctively to start touching him again. Just as her fingers were about to run through his hair she jerked back, balling her hand into a fist to resist the temptation. Instead she propped herself up on one elbow, leaning her cheek into her palm to just observe him._

" _Jonathan Hart," she silently thought the name. Her lips parted slightly as she admired him. "Who are you Mister Hart? You don't have a middle name. You were raised in an orphanage. Max is the closest thing to family that you have. You're an amazing business man who has built a conglomerate from the ground up. You're well respected in the business world. I've seen pictures of you with other women, but never read anything about you being married before. How many women are in your past? Did you pursue any of those women like you pursued me? Were you in love with any of them?"_

 _She ducked her head at the thought. That was one question she would have to ask him face to face. She believed he would tell her the truth, but she wanted to see his eyes when he answered._

 _He took in a deep breath and shifted his body. His handsome face turned toward her. She recalled kissing his eyelids after he had reached his peak, only moments after she had in the wee morning hours. Jennifer sucked in a breath, eyelids fluttering as she relived that magnificently pleasurable moment in her mind and body._

 _As she had suspected, he was adamant about administering to her needs first, every touch perfectly calculated, somehow, to take her higher and higher. She remembered asking about his middle name before they lost themselves in each other. And, she did recall hearing his delightful first name leave her lips…several times._

 _She bit her bottom lip a little harder than she meant to as she got lost in the memory. Jennifer didn't draw blood, but the pressure of her teeth did cause her to suck in a quick, uneasy breath along with muttering an expletive at the pain. The sound was enough to make Jonathan open his eyes._

" _Sorry," she whispered, rubbing a finger over her lip._

" _Are you okay?" Jonathan wondered, shifting quickly with the unexpected wakeup._

" _Yes," she blushed. She watched him rub a hand over his face and then his eyes truly focused on her._

" _Are you sure?" He wondered again, thinking perhaps their night of lovemaking had left her uneasy, instead of sated._

" _Yes," she said with more confidence. "I was just watching you sleep and remembering last night… Hmmm," she sighed with content. "I just, kind of, bit my lip…" She ran her tongue over her bottom lip where her teeth had left a slight imprint._

 _Jonathan chuckled and then mirrored her position, leaning his head onto his hand, resting on his side. "Can I kiss it and make it better?" He wondered with a wag of his eyebrows._

 _Jennifer nodded and leaned toward him. "Please?" she requested._

 _Jonathan gave her an initial kiss on her lip and then easily rolled her onto her back before he began the work of actually 'healing' her injury. His remedy included taking her mind off the pain and replacing it with more pleasure._

 _Jonathan's hands found their way under the sheet eliciting wonderful, inviting sounds of her pure enjoyment._

 _Before she knew what was happening Jennifer felt the weight of his body on hers, skin to skin, once again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deciding to let him have his way with her if that was his intention._

 _She also decided, very quickly, that she liked waking up this way. And, the feel of his chest hairs against her breasts was almost as intoxicating as the way his lips excited every nerve ending that they touched…which, if she recalled correctly, had been all over her entire body just hours before._

 _Jennifer moaned quietly as those lips began their arousing work once more. But, as Jonathan began his path down her neck, wriggling his way backwards under the sheets, a knock at the door startled them both._

" _Jonathan," Jennifer blurted his name out in a breathless whisper but didn't want him to move. The feel of his morning stubble against her smooth skin was already pushing her into another realm of oblivion. And she knew he had barely started._

 _Jennifer grabbed for the comforter, trying to move it over their bodies, but unintentionally covered most of Jonathan. He scooted himself toward her head, looking like a turtle peeking out from its shell._

 _They both began to laugh until the knock sounded again._

" _Max?" Jonathan called with a muffled voice from halfway under the covers. "Give us a second, will ya?"_

 _He began to pull himself off his beautiful fiancée and grinned at the appalled look on her face. "It's fine," he nodded and helped Jennifer make sure her nakedness was mostly covered just as Max turned the door handle to enter their haven._

" _Good morning!" Max carried a tray into the bedroom with an assortment of breakfast foods and juices. "I had a feeling you might need a little sustenance," he rolled the words from his mouth slowly._

 _Max took a quick glance around the room. To his own amusement he saw the bathrobe and pajama bottoms on the floor beside Jonathan's side of the bed; and the pajama top plus Jennifer's unmentionables at the opposite corner on the floor. Max was a smart man. He knew how to play the innocent butler just long enough to make sure Jonathan wasn't getting himself into trouble._

 _From what he had already seen and was currently observing, his 'boss' had likely found the missing piece of their family._

 _Jennifer watched the older gentleman closely. She wasn't quite sure what Max and Jonathan had been through together. But neither of them seemed to be bothered by the fact that he was in the bedroom where a naked woman was prominently featured in Mr. Hart's bed._

 _Max smiled sweetly and nodded at Jennifer quickly before turning his attention to Jonathan._

" _Mr. H., just so you know," Max poured a glass of orange juice and handed it to Jonathan before copying the act and giving a second glass to Jennifer. "Harry called from the office. You're all cleared till the weekend and he said if you need to be in New York after that, just let him know."_

 _Jonathan nodded at him. "Thanks, Max. Any other messages?" Jonathan sat up farther in the bed, revealing his unclothed chest._

" _Just something from a woman named…uh…Andi, I think it was. She called from the New York Post. She's wanting to confirm your interview with Miss Edwards."_

 _Jonathan stopped, mid sip, and glanced toward Jennifer before lowering his glass and looking directly at his dear friend._

" _What?!" Jennifer sat up a bit straighter and looked at Jonathan with concern._

" _Got it, thanks Max!" he rushed the words knowing he now needed the kind fellow to leave the room as quickly as possible._

" _Yous two need anything else?" Max asked, knowing he had just instigated a potential lovers' quarrel._

 _Both of them looked at him and simultaneously said "No." Jennifer's was rushed and a bit harsh. Jonathan's response was quieter with a shake of his head._

" _Ok. I'll leave you alone then." Max grinned as he began backing out of the door. "Oh! Miss Edwards," he smiled at her with a heartfelt grin, "Your hair is very pretty when it's down. You should wear it like that more often."_

 _On the one hand, Jennifer was grateful that Max had focused on her hair… On the other she looked directly at her husband to be, "What interview and how do you know Andi?"_

 _Jonathan turned and fluffed the pillows behind his head, adjusting himself to actually sit in comfort before attempting to meet her eyes and confirm her thoughts. He first placed his hands on top of the covers and looked guiltily at them lying in his lap, waiting for Jennifer to say something more. She didn't._

 _In the next moment he uncovered his naked self and went to the closet, pulling out the second bathrobe and wrapping it around his body. He then went to the tray of food that Max had carried in to them and grabbed a hard-boiled egg._

" _Max makes amazing eggs. Try one?" He smiled and held it out to Jennifer._

 _She pulled the covers from his side of the bed and wrapped them around her body tightly, as though fitting herself with a suit of armor. She pressed her arms tightly over the thick covers and looked, unsmiling, at his face._

 _They held each other's gaze until Jonathan shrugged his shoulders and took the first bite out of the food. Jennifer shook her head in disbelief._

" _Are you serious?" Her face nearly matched the one that had looked at him the previous day right before he proposed to her._

" _About the eggs?" Jonathan attempted to put off the conversation that they needed to share. He held the partially eaten morsel toward her again. "Absolutely! He says 10 minutes makes them amazing. The yolk is firm, the white is soft but not liquidy…"_

" _Jonathan!" she admonished him so he sat down on the bed beside her and held the remainder of the egg to her lips._

" _I'm not eating that," she sighed and blinked at him. "I prefer three-minute eggs, but I guess I'll discuss that with Max since he's good at sharing information!"_

 _She looked away from Jonathan as he ate the remainder of the egg and then proceeded to move to her side of the bed and sat with his legs crossed in front of her._

" _I should've told you last night to check your messages at home…but we were a little… preoccupied, I thought," he began._

 _Jennifer huffed out a slight sigh and glanced at his eyes but wouldn't look directly into them. "I'm listening."_

" _When you were getting changed last night, I called Harry – he's my C.E.O. back home – to tell him to clear my calendar so I can stay here…with you…for a while longer." He dared to reach a hand out to touch her knee that was safely secured under the comforter and sheet._

 _Jennifer didn't smack him or retract her leg so Jonathan took that as his cue to continue._

" _I told Harry this was serious, between me and you, and I needed to get in touch with your office so he looked up the number of the Post for me – that is the paper you're working for, right, not the Times? – so I could call them and let them know what was going on."_

 _Jennifer's eyes widened at that thought. She looked at him, still angry, but now a little worried._

" _You didn't tell Andi…" She pleaded with her eyes._

 _Jonathan took her intrepid tone as a sign to move closer, inching himself to the point he could reach her hand. So he did, gently smoothing his fingers over the knuckles of her fist, which he took as a signal that he should explain things further._

" _I told Andi, that you had been trying to reach me for an interview. And I told her, if you still wanted that interview, that I'm in London till Friday and you'd have to catch me here on Thursday because that's my only availability."_

 _He made the words as simple and clear as he possibly could. He used a soft, conversational voice, and he looked directly into her eyes as he spoke to her._

 _Jennifer let the words go through her mind several times before reacting verbally._

" _So…" she looked down at their hands, relaxed her fist, and allowed him to link their fingers together. "I'm going to get my interview?"_

 _Jonathan smiled, "If you're here on Thursday, yes."_

" _Jonathan," she met his eyes as she thought out loud._

" _Hmmm?" He waited._

" _It's Monday," she noted._

" _That it is," he agreed._

" _What are we doing between now and Thursday?" She asked innocently._

 _Jonathan grinned and pushed her until she fell backwards onto the pillows. Jennifer laughed at him, knowing there would be more to this conversation. But as he stood and discarded his robe she couldn't help but invite him to join her under the covers again._

" _Does this give you any idea for killing a little time between now and then?" he asked as he allowed her hands to roam around his body._

" _Shut up," she smiled at him and leaned her head toward his, wanting a kiss._

 _He pulled back and gave their current state of affairs a visual once over. "If any of this makes it into your article some may question your integrity."_

" _Mmm," she began making the necessary bodily adjustments to finish their 'breakfast' in bed. "If they knew what I've gone through to get THIS interview," her eyes were playful but sensual, focusing more on her personal work at that moment than any article she'd ever composed, "they'd be damned jealous of me!"_

 _Jonathan held her close as she continued to sleep against him. Thrilled? Elated? Sated? Happy._

 _He could use all of those words and many more to describe his feelings with the woman in his arms. But the one that stood out most to him was something he wasn't sure he had ever felt in his life from anyone, other than Max._

 _Loved._

 _He wasn't one to use that word. He would rarely use it to even describe his favorite food or a place that he truly enjoyed visiting, let alone saying it to another person. That was just something he had come to avoid in his lifetime._

 _Early on he figured he didn't need love. He had people who took care of him, taught him and made sure he had manners and discipline. But the only other person who made him feel remotely loved was the man who had given him a sport coat to wear to an interview; taught him to play poker way too young; and the man who had brought them breakfast in bed that morning._

 _He knew Jennifer Edwards' life had been different. The way she spoke of her father, worrying about his reaction to their engagement; there must be a love there that he didn't understand, but wanted to. He could imagine, from just the little bit of time he had spent with her, that Jennifer had much love in her heart to give._

 _For a moment he felt a bit unusual, unsure of himself, not knowing if the two of them could share a similar, loving, feeling because of their different backgrounds. Then she moved in his arms and that warm, familiar feeling started taking over again._

 _He didn't want to release his hold on her. He didn't want them to move. He wanted to hold her, love her, protect her and have her all to himself for the rest of his life._

 _Jonathan took a deep breath. He pressed his nose down into her hair, and placed a gentle kiss on her scalp. He hummed a sigh and squeezed her a little harder._

 _The action made Jennifer stretch and smile. Feeling his arms around her made her feel secure. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to let anything spoil that feeling._

" _Good morning," Jonathan whispered as her body moved against him._

" _Is it still?" Jennifer asked, adjusting herself more tightly against him._

" _Well, morning-ish…" Jonathan laughed quietly through his nose._

" _We are just staying here all day, right?" Jennifer attempted to ask innocently._

" _If you insist…" Jonathan let his voice drift off as his fingers began to wander over her bare arms._

" _How are you at massages?" Jennifer wondered, attempting to hint at a slightly different activity._

" _Oh, I love 'em!" Jonathan exclaimed. He knew good and well that she was attempting to ask FOR some muscle relaxation from him. But at her mere suggestion, he was completely willing to see what she had to offer._

" _I'll trade you 15 for ten, what d'ya say?" Jennifer loosened herself in his hold and raised herself over him, biting her bottom lip seductively and batting her eyelashes._

" _15 for ten?" Jonathan curiously raised his eyebrows, not completely relinquishing his hold on her. "Why does that sound like I'm on the losing end of this idea?"_

" _Well, consider it a trial run… You give me a 15 minute massage…"_

" _And I only get a 10 minute version?" Jonathan's eyes grew wide as he looked at her and shook his head._

" _Just think about all I've been through in the past 24 hours. Don't you think I deserve a longer massage? I'm tense…probably from being questioned by the police – twice," she emphasized._

" _Need I remind you, the second time was purely trivial?" Jonathan attempted to soothe her tension._

" _Trivial?" Jennifer smacked his chest. "Trivial? Are you kidding? You weren't there at the police station being interrogated." She pouted slightly._

" _Did they ask you why you had used an assumed name?" He wondered half jokingly._

" _Yes, of course they did!" Jennifer's voice raised slightly remembering the frustrating experience. "I only used that with you! Why did you have to throw that into the mix? I told them I had only used a fake name because of you and they asked me 'Why?' I told them I was trying to get a story with you and that you wouldn't have talked to me if I had given you my real name."_

 _Jonathan snickered at her truth._

" _Then they asked me 'why' again. Why wouldn't you have talked to me – ME, Jennifer Edwards, me."_

" _So you told them you'd tried to break into my apartment? Or did you tell them it was because you had already been harassing me with telephone calls?" Jonathan smiled at her._

 _Jennifer huffed at his jokes._

" _It was not a good experience, Jonathan. Not good at all."_

" _I'm sorry," he offered sincerely. "I didn't mean to cause any harm. And I swear to you, if they had actually arrested you, I would've stepped in immediately and cleared everything."_

" _Why did you have me dragged in there to begin with?" Jennifer wondered, knowing he had already answered that question. But, she wanted to hear his answer again._

" _I told you, that was Max's idea."_

" _But YOU went along with it."_

" _I didn't have any other ideas at that very moment that would've served my purpose."_

" _And what purpose was that?" she asked, a single finger tracing over his chest, teasing him into an answer that might just get her the 15 minute massage that she wanted…or a longer one. Either of which would likely keep them in bed for another two hours, her mind digressed, if she was lucky._

 _Jonathan turned to face her, catching onto her little game. "MY purpose was to make sure you didn't leave the country. MY purpose was to make sure I could see you again. My PURPOSE was to let you know that I had fallen in love with you," his voice became softer as his eyes dropped to her neck and collarbone, avoiding peering into her beautiful eyes._

 _Jennifer used the tip of her index finger to push his chin up, directing his gaze back at her eyes. "And it worked," she looked at him seriously to get her point across. She wrapped her arms around his neck to add even more credence to what she was saying. "I'm here, with you, and I've fallen in love with you, too."_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 5 - Two Harts**


	6. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 6

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 6**

 _Jonathan enjoyed the momentary 'full moon' that his fiancée offered him when she leaned over the edge of the mattress to try and retrieve her bathrobe and nightshirt from the floor._

" _Going somewhere?" He asked with humor in his voice as he patted her bare rump._

 _Jennifer rushed her actions, sliding off the bed but attempting to keep part of the comforter between her body and Jonathan's vision._

" _You realize I've seen all of you now, right?" Jonathan smirked at her as she tried to pull the shirt over her head and yet keep her breasts covered._

 _Jennifer tilted her head and looked at him unamused. She let the bed covering drop and let the pajama top fall around her hips. She then picked up her panties and slid them back into place cringing slightly._

" _Uncomfortable?" Jonathan asked, still amused that she was getting halfway dressed while he was nowhere near ready to be clothed again._

" _Slightly," Jennifer climbed back into the bed beside him, and moved her pillows around until she could sit up, leaning against the headboard. "Just recalling that I have nothing to change into."_

 _Jonathan reached to the bedside table and grabbed the small notepad and pen that were in there. He handed them to Jennifer and then turned on his side to observe her more fully, and to answer her questioning look._

 _He tapped on the notepad. "Write down what you need," he instructed._

 _Jennifer eyed him without asking anything and then looked back at the notepad._

" _Slacks, dress, skirt, tops…underwear, lingerie…" Jonathan thought out loud. "What clothing do you need between now and the weekend?"_

 _Jennifer's look softened. "Jonathan, if I can just send my clothes from yesterday to the hotel cleaners I'll be fine. If we are truly…staying in…today, then I can get those cleaned and pressed and ready to wear tomorrow. Then, tomorrow I'll run out and get other clothes."_

"Nonsense," Jonathan retorted. "Write down what you need and we'll take care of it today."

 _Jennifer shook her head at him. "So we aren't staying in today?"_

" _I didn't say that," Jonathan answered. "I said we'd take care of it."_

" _So I'm just supposed to write down a list of items that I *think* I'll need…"_

" _And your sizes…" Jonathan threw into the mix. He watched her eyes grow wide before sending a few daggers in his direction._

" _I'll find out eventually," he wasn't joking, just stating fact. "Besides, from what I've seen and learned already, you have NOTHING to be ashamed of in the body department."_

 _She rolled her eyes at him and blushed._

" _Jennifer, Darling, do you trust me?" Jonathan looked at her with a slightly pleading look, yet one that told her he had a plan in mind._

" _Have we established trust between us after just a week?" She wondered._

" _Haven't we?" Jonathan tilted his head and caught her eyes. They shared a gaze that sent a message of love, and trust, straight to Jennifer's heart. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't trust me – or that I can't trust you." He spoke softly and watched her eyes intently as she thought and felt._

 _After a moment she smiled softly, "That's not fair."_

 _Jonathan returned her smile with a proud one of his own. "What's not fair?"_

 _Jennifer pulled in a slow breath as they continued to hold each other with that simple gaze. "That you can practically make me melt with one look… That you seem to know my soul by just looking in my eyes… That I can't take my eyes off of you…"_

" _Actually, I'd say that makes us even," he reached up with one hand to grasp her shoulder and pull her toward him. "Because I can't keep my eyes - or hands - off of you. And right now, if you asked me for the world I'd move heaven and earth to lay it at your feet."_

 _While she wanted to laugh at his corny sentiment, Jennifer knew he was being completely serious. It frightened her slightly to hear this man that she barely knew, professing his love for her. But at the same time she realized that she was sharing those feelings with him. And at that moment, her heart believed that perhaps they really were meant to be together for the rest of their lives._

 _She waited patiently as their eyes continued communicating. With no other words they both knew that they were giving each other their lives. A conversation about clothing was making her life more clear. Trusting, loving and sharing would be a huge portion of a commitment that neither had been prepared to make before their chance meeting just a week prior._

 _Jennifer realized that the word, 'commitment', no longer scared her like it had in the past. Something about this man sent a calming force through her and a peace that assured her, inside and out, that he would love her and take care of her._

 _She didn't need anything more than that look to feel those deepest emotions but he took it one step further… he kissed her._

 _Jonathan wandered to the living area where Max was watching television. Jonathan carried the breakfast tray from the bedroom and sat it by the sink in the kitchenette before addressing his old friend._

 _Max got off the couch to clean up the dishes and chuckled when he looked at Jonathan in the bathrobe and bare feet._

" _Did she finally kick you out of bed?" he grinned devilishly._

 _Jonathan smirked, "She can only take so much of me at one time, you know."_

 _The two laughed together easily._

 _Jonathan had sent Jennifer to the shower with one of his dress shirts and the bathrobe that she had adopted. He had assured her that he would discreetly find her more clothes. He had also promised her that they wouldn't leave the suite until the following day, if then._

 _He had watched her wrap the bed sheet around her and walk to the bathroom. He wanted to give her some space but the fact that he wanted to spend every waking moment with her wasn't something he could deny. But, since he needed to give Max instructions, he allowed her to at least get into the shower alone…for a few minutes._

" _Mr. H.," Max looked at his boss, his friend._

" _Yeah?" Jonathan watched Max's face, one that he had learned to read over their years together._

" _Marriage?" The one word question didn't surprise the multi-millionaire._

 _Jonathan pressed his lips together and nodded his head. "I can't explain it, Max." He stood in thought for a few seconds. "When we were standing there yesterday, watching her talk to the police, it hit me that if I let her go I might never see her again."_

" _So you said," Max commented._

" _That thought…" Jonathan rolled his tongue around in his mouth. He leaned against the counter and looked into the older man's face. "It made my heart hurt."_

" _Mr. H., you would've had no trouble finding her. You've got 10 people back home that would've tracked her down. All you'd have to do is say the word."_

 _Jonathan nodded at him. "Yeah, but I didn't even want to let her out of my sight." He glanced out the window over the city of London. "I still feel that way."_

" _Well, you saved her life a couple of times. Are you sure these…feelings…aren't just part of that?"_

 _Jonathan shook his head firmly. "No. What I'm feeling, Max, I can't even describe to you. I'm telling you, it hit me the moment she sat down next to me in the bar and gave me a made-up name."_

 _Max laughed. "Then you got it bad, Mr. H." He shook his head, stepped over and gave Jonathan a hard pat on the shoulder._

 _Jonathan rubbed his shoulder and gave Max a wary eye._

" _I will say, though," Max continued as he started taking glasses from the tray and putting them into the sink, "she's quite the looker."_

" _Isn't she?" Jonathan smiled again. "Those eyes are killers. And that smile…" he sighed, bringing another chuckle from Max's throat._

" _Sheesh, you're already wrapped around her little finger."_

 _Jonathan threw Max a meaningless, angry glance. "You will be too, Max, just give it time."_

" _Yeah…" Max shook his head, turned on the water and washed several dishes, moving them over to the dish drainer to dry. He turned off the faucet and dried his hands before turning to find Jonathan sitting at the table, holding a folded piece of paper in his hands._

" _What's that?" Max wondered._

 _Jonathan grinned. "It's part of your 'get-to-know-Jennifer' homework…"_

"Huh?"

" _The soon-to-be Mrs. H. is in need of some clothes…" Jonathan began._

" _Uh, I don't do women's clothes…" Max interrupted._

" _Now, just hear me out," Jonathan pressed gently. "Because of US, Jennifer's clothes flew to New York…"_

"Now wait a minute!" Max furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms giving his boss a truly bothered look.

" _Fine, because of Me… but c'mon, Max," Jonathan tried an encouraging tone. "It's either you take this list to the department store and pick up what she needs…"_

"Or?"

"Or I go get what she needs and you stay here with Jennifer," Jonathan shook his head, telling Max exactly what choice he truly had.

 _Max tilted his head, giving Jonathan a fatherly look. "What's in it for me?" the butler wondered._

 _Jonathan grinned. "You'll be out of the suite when Jennifer gets out of the shower and I get my hands on her again…"_

 _Max cringed and shook his head. "'Nough said."_

 _Jonathan held up the folded paper between his index and middle fingers. Max took the paper from him. He dared to glance at the list but only for a second. "Mr. H. …"_

 _Before he could argue further Jonathan understood his hesitation. "Take it to the department store. Go into the women's apparel department and find one of the lovely sales women. Tell her your niece came to visit and they lost her luggage. Ask them to find three or four outfits and whatever else is on that list. That ought to get us through till we get home."_

" _Yeah, alright," Max agreed begrudgingly._

 _Jonathan moved to the couch while Max found his cap and coat to go out into the damp London air. As he headed toward the door Jonathan caught his attention._

" _Max, I owe ya."_

" _Yeah you do," Max responded._

" _You know I love ya," Jonathan added._

 _Max stopped momentarily. That sentiment had been a rarity between the two of them. It was always understood, but rarely spoken. He let it sink in and realized it was probably brought on by this new woman in their lives._

" _Yeah, uh, back at ya…" Max attempted. "Mr. H.? I'm guessing that goes for Miss Edwards, too?"_

 _Jonathan looked at his dear friend and nodded with certainty. "I think you and she will hit it off too, Max. You and I come as a package deal."_

 _Both were surprised as Jennifer appeared in the living room and seated herself on the arm of the couch next to Jonathan. They could tell she was a bit nervous, hearing just the end of this conversation._

 _She put her heart into the smile that she offered to Max. Her eyes met Jonathan's quickly before she looked again at the gentle man standing near the door._

" _I think he's right, Max," Jennifer directed her comments toward her new friend. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."_

 _Jonathan pulled her into his lap once the door closed behind Max. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. The two sat silently for a few minutes, Jonathan resting his chin on her shoulder and Jennifer leaning her cheek against the top of his head._

 _Jonathan snapped his fingers, leaned back against the couch cushions and smiled. "Matching bathrobes!" He said, out of the blue._

 _Jennifer looked, slightly bewildered, at what they each were wearing._

" _We'll have matching monograms!" Jonathan smiled even wider. Jennifer shook her head._

" _I mean…if you'll take my name," Jonathan's smile faded slightly._

 _Jennifer placed an arm around his neck and looked at him thoughtfully. "I hadn't even had a chance to think about that," she pondered._

" _You don't have to," Jonathan offered. "With your writing and other business… I understand if you want to keep your last name."_

Jennifer sat quietly, thinking about the options. She chuckled.

" _What?" Jonathan wondered._

" _I need a notebook," she grinned a closed-lip smile._

 _Jonathan creased his eyebrows asking her non-verbally what she was thinking._

" _I told you last night…I feel like a school girl," She explained with bright eyes and a happy nod of her head. "What do teenage girls do when they have a serious boyfriend?"_

 _She paused a minute to let him think._

 _Jonathan nodded and grinned before placing a soft kiss on her lips. "They write down their name with their boyfriend's name on their notebooks."_

"Exactly!" Jennifer grinned widely.

" _I can offer you hotel stationery, will that do?" Jonathan reached to the table near them beside the phone. He handed her the pen and small stack of paper that was sitting there._

 _Jennifer adjusted her knees to use them as her writing board. She took the next few minutes using her best penmanship to write various forms of her name._

Jonathan watched intently.

' _Jennifer Hart' was the first name she chose to pen. That choice alone made Jonathan's heart pound harder. Then came 'Jennifer Edwards Hart'; 'Jennifer Edwards-Hart'; 'Jennifer Suzanne Hart'._

 _Jonathan noted the last one._

" _Suzanne is your middle name?"_

 _Jennifer nodded. "Yes. It's my mother's name. My father wanted her to know how special she is to him, so he wanted me to have her name. She wouldn't hear of us sharing the same first name so she agreed to let it be my middle name," she explained._

 _Jonathan squeezed her slightly tighter. "It's beautiful. Is she as beautiful as you are?"_

 _Jennifer ducked her head and blushed. "Oh, I think she's much prettier than me. But, I guess you'll have to make that decision for yourself when you meet her."_

 _Jonathan nodded._

" _By the way," Jennifer added and waited until he focused on her. "I'm the only child; my father's only daughter; my mother's pride and joy. Not that you should let that worry you at all…" She held in the laugh that formed in her throat as Jonathan cringed and shivered._

" _Duly noted," Jonathan was slightly comforted by the soft kiss she placed on his cheek._

" _Did I strike a nerve?" Jennifer wondered with a smile._

 _Jonathan pressed his lips together and looked into her face. "I've never had 'the talk' with a woman's father before."_

"The talk?" she shook her head, wanting more explanation.

" _Oh, you know, 'THE talk'." Jonathan shared as he pulled her closer and placed his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek and ear with his nose._

 _Jennifer giggled. "The one where he asks about your plans for his daughter… or the one where you ask for my hand in marriage?"_

 _Jonathan leaned back just far enough to focus on her eyes as they again shared a gaze._

" _I guess we'll have to roll those into one big conversation," he smiled nervously. "Who should I be more scared of, though, your father, or your mother?" Jonathan asked curiously._

" _Ooo, now that's a good question!" Jennifer shifted to lean against his chest, finding the couch much less comfortable than the bed for the moment._

 _Jonathan let her contemplate the question for a moment. He creatively moved them both around until they were stretched out on the couch, sharing the space more comfortably._

" _Is that question really that tough?" Jonathan prodded._

 _Jennifer laughed. "Well, if you get past Walter,"_

" _Wait, I thought your father's name is Stephen…" Jonathan interrupted._

" _It is," Jennifer nodded but reached for his hand as she continued. "But Walter is my parent's butler. He's their Max."_

 _She smiled and reached a hand to Jonathan's cheek, teasing him._

" _My parents are very reasonable people. And, it's not like I'm an 18 year old who's decided to marry a 30 year old man." She thought out loud._

" _True." Jonathan commented. "I'm 38, by the way, in case you were wondering."_

 _Jennifer looked at him more closely. "Really? I was guessing 34 or 35." She raised her eyebrows and pressed her lips together as she thought._

" _I'm 28."_

 _Jonathan pressed his lips together._

" _Did you think I was older?" Jennifer asked the loaded question._

 _Jonathan leaned against her and placed a meaningful kiss on her lips. "I hadn't even considered age until this very moment. Jennifer Edwards, I don't care how old you are. If my age is a problem for you, now is the time to let me know…before I talk to your parents."_

 _Jennifer returned his kiss with even more meaning. She held her lips against his and placed her hands on his chest._

" _What's 10 years between friends?" she asked with a smile as their mouths remained nearly connected._

" _Enough time, apparently, for friends to become lovers?" Jonathan suddenly enjoyed their playful, face to face banter._

" _Tsk, tsk…" Jennifer puckered and planted another kiss on his waiting lips. "That, apparently, only took a week."_

 _Both grinned, closed their eyes and easily shared another length of time exploring the taste and feel of their lips enjoying one another._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 6 - Two Harts**


	7. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 7

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 7**

" _Are you hungry?" Jonathan asked as he looked at the clock in the room. He squeezed his arms more tightly around her. They had found a comfortable position on the couch and spent nearly an hour laying there together, saying very little, sharing kisses and enjoying the solitary company._

 _At nearly noon he knew Jennifer had to eat something. The breakfast in bed from Max had been barely touched thanks to the conversation about phone messages that led to other activities._

" _What do we have?" Jennifer wondered, her eyes closed, not thinking about anything except the feel of his arms embracing her._

" _We have…" Jonathan thought for a moment, "room service!" He smiled, pulled her close and planted a kiss in her mass of hair that he had already come to adore. As he pulled his lips away from her scalp he added, "I have to agree with Max, by the way. I love your hair down like this."_

" _It's a lot to handle. Are you sure you like it?"_

" _Do you wear it pinned up most of the time?" Jonathan wondered about her daily routine._

" _Not necessarily," Jennifer started. "Sometimes it's just easier to put it up than curling and primping for an extra hour." She thought about what Jonathan was saying. She smiled a little, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as she spooned with him. She noticed how close he was holding her and truly didn't want to move out of his grasp to eat, to fix her hair or for any reason. "But if you and Max like it down, I'll have to make it a point to wear it that way more often."_

 _She could feel the smile form on his face. And although he released his hold with one hand, she truly enjoyed feeling his fingers run through her hair as he uncovered her ear and feathered light kisses along the delicate skin._

 _Jennifer shivered with a cold chill. "You tease!" she softly squealed._

 _Jonathan laughed. "I'm going to enjoy learning exactly how to tease you."_

Jennifer felt the rush of blood to her cheeks and breathed in deeply as she took note of the way their bodies molded together perfectly – with and without clothing.

 _She turned enough to look into his clear blue eyes, shining with delight. "I'm looking forward to that."_

 _They finished their lovely lunch at the dining table, sharing a chocolate mousse for dessert. Jennifer used her thumb to wipe a little of the delicacy off the corner of Jonathan's mouth._

" _I haven't taken a day off like this in years," Jennifer sat back in the wooden chair and adjusted the belt of the robe around her._

" _So you aren't used to spending a relaxing day out of the office? Surely YOU aren't a workaholic, Miss Edwards." Jonathan teased her in a different manner._

" _Workaholic…that's not what you called me a few days ago, was it?" Jennifer furrowed her eyebrows slightly and then raised them as she reminded him of their first conversation. "I believe you said I was a 'love-starved matron'. Wasn't that how you phrased it?" She crossed her arms across her chest and watched Jonathan grin._

" _That wasn't fair," Jonathan sat his hands on the table, leaning forward, allowing Jennifer to take note, again, of his handsome, bare chest. "You knew exactly who I was when you sat down beside me. I had no idea who you were. And you lied to me!"_

" _Ah, no, I sat down, frustrated, at an open seat. I didn't realize it was you until I happened to glance over at you. If I had jumped up to switch seats that would've been a little suspect, don't you think?" She quickly tried to cover for herself._

" _So instead you made up a name and lied to me?" Jonathan raised his own eyebrows as he watched her squirm._

" _I knew," Jennifer shrugged her shoulders, "if I had told you who I was you probably would've dumped your Manhattan on me and shared a few choice words about my journalistic abilities."_

 _Jonathan nodded. "You're probably right."_

 _Jennifer returned his nod as she thought about the chain of events. "It was a nice London-by-night tour," she referred to the night they spent dancing and talking. "I enjoyed spending time with Jonathan Hart, the man, instead of trying to interview the millionaire." She smiled at him sweetly._

" _The stories you told me about your childhood," Jonathan wondered as he lifted his water glass and took another quick sip, "those were YOUR stories, weren't they? You didn't make those up as part of Louise's past?"_

 _Jennifer shook her head. "No, the only thing I fibbed about that night was my name…and my job, I guess. The parts about horseback riding, growing up in Maryland, traveling and loving art are all me."_

" _So we're going to need some land, I'm guessing," Jonathan looked away from her momentarily as he thought out loud._

" _What do you mean?" Jennifer watched him closely wondering about his words._

" _We're going to have to have land for horses and other animals. And we'll need lots of wall space for artwork. I can already picture a Picasso, or maybe a Van Gogh hanging in the living room."_

 _Jennifer bit her lip. He was talking about making a home…with her. Her heart raced at the thought._

" _And a grand piano…" Jonathan continued while she let her heart take control. "You didn't mention it, but you play piano, don't you?" he stopped and watched her eyes glisten. "Darling?" He smiled._

" _Wh-what?" Jennifer blinked and refocused on his eyes._

" _A piano," he started again. "I play a little bit, but I bet you are a marvelous piano player."_

Jennifer tilted her head. "Whatever gives you that idea?" She attempted to deny his assumption.

 _She saw his nose twitch slightly and his lips pucker before he answered. Jonathan adjusted his hips in his chair as he prepared himself for the response that had no musical intonation at all._

" _You have masterful fingers and hands…" he avoided smiling as he spoke the words and then realized he wasn't joking with her. The way she had touched him over the past 24 hours had given him more pleasure than he had ever desired._

" _Jonathan," she breathed out slightly heavily, like a teacher admonishing a student. Then she noticed the look on his face – a man admiring the woman he loved. She couldn't argue with him._

 _He reached his hand across the small table, beckoning for her to put her hand in his. Jennifer didn't resist. She watched their hands connect and continued looking at them as Jonathan ran his thumb over her knuckles and caressed her palm._

 _Jonathan was doing the same, watching the path his digits were taking. He felt her hand relax in his and realized she was enjoying this simple, yet pleasure-filled massage. When she took a deep breath and let it out slowly he looked toward her face and smiled._

 _Her eyes had closed; a content smile adorned her lips. So he stopped and just held her hand._

 _When she sighed, seemingly frustrated that he had halted her relaxation, Jonathan held in his laugh. "You're adorable, you know that?"_

 _Jennifer blinked to open her eyes. "Why'd you stop?" She wondered in a childlike voice._

" _Because I didn't want you falling asleep at the table," he grinned at her._

" _But I liked what you were doing. I wasn't falling asleep, I was just enjoying…" she looked back at their intertwined hands._

" _Riiiggghhht," Jonathan drawled._

 _Jennifer took a cleansing breath and returned his smile. "What were we talking about again?"_

" _Your magnificent fingers…" Jonathan cocked his eyebrows and Jennifer rolled her eyes._

" _No, you were talking about a piano, and walls for art, and land for animals." Jennifer recalled. "Don't you have that already?"_

 _Jonathan gave her fingers a gentle squeeze and then pulled his hand back to rest on the edge of the table. He shook his head._

" _Max and I live in a penthouse suite near Los Angeles. Three bedrooms, great living room, kitchen is okay, but the view is awesome." He commented, thinking about the bachelor pad._

" _Oh," Jennifer pressed her lips together in thought. "Will that be our first…home…together?" She wondered._

 _Jonathan looked at her and smiled. "I guess that depends on how quickly you want to get married. And, whether or not you want to go house-hunting with me."_

 _Jennifer grinned. "You can do that, can't you Mr. Millionaire?"_

" _Do what?" Jonathan asked._

" _Just go house-hunting. You can find a mansion that you like and just buy it - just like that." Jennifer commented._

" _Money's certainly not everything," Jonathan started. "But it helps." He looked at her seriously. "You'll find that I don't flaunt what I've earned, unless I need to. And if I need to, it's with good reason. I would consider finding a home for US…a place that we both like and can enjoy together… a good reason."_

 _Jennifer listened to him intently. She had already learned that he wasn't the conceited, rich man, that she had initially thought he might be. She appreciated the way he spoke of his wealth – he had worked for it; he had earned it. And without any second thoughts that she knew of, he was already willing to share at least part of that wealth to benefit their future._

" _I'm not that familiar with L.A." Jennifer commented. "I'll be dependent on you to tell me which areas would be right…for us." Her heartbeat sped up. Suddenly she was just a little nervous. She had never once felt dependent on anyone since moving out of her parents' house._

 _Chalk that word right up there with 'commitment'._

 _Jonathan read the uncertainty on her face. He stood from the table and walked around to her chair, placing his hands on her shoulders. He bent down and kissed the top of her head before kneeling down beside her chair and looking up at her face._

" _You're nervous," he took her hands into his and smiled softly. "We are jumping from topic to topic, getting to know each other because we are practically strangers. And yet I know I love you and I want to share the rest of my life with you."_

 _Jennifer squeezed his hands, but couldn't say a word. She was amazed at how well he could already read her mind and heart._

" _If you will just…promise me…" Jonathan thought about his words, "that you won't…leave me…" He stalled, trying to find the right way to say what was in his heart. "Jennifer, I don't care if we get married tomorrow, or two years from now. Just, if things aren't going the way you want them to… talk to me, please? Give me a chance. Give us a chance. Let's make decisions together. Just, don't leave me, okay?"_

 _Jennifer's heart pounded. She saw in front of her a little boy who had been abandoned. The people that he loved most somehow ripped from his little life. In the same instant she saw a 38 year old man who was finally willing to open up that part of his life again; finally willing to really let someone come into his life._

 _She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head to her chest. He rested his ear against her heartbeat and let her hold him._

" _Max will need a big kitchen. And we'll have to have a formal dining room, but I want to have a table and chairs in the kitchen too. That's where we'll have breakfast."_

 _Jennifer spoke as she was still holding him against her._

" _We will probably need at least three or four bedrooms. And a big living room. I imagine we'll be hosting holiday parties for the fine folks at Hart Industries. Do they call you Mr. Hart, or Jonathan?" she wondered._

 _Jonathan smiled. He pulled away from her slowly. "I'll find a real estate agent as soon as we get back to the states," he grinned from ear to ear. "Then as soon as you can come to California – at least for a visit – we can look at houses."_

 _Jennifer returned his smile. "California… whew…"_

" _Do I need to move to New York?" Jonathan questioned._

 _Jennifer shook her head. "No. It's just going to be an adjustment, that's all. I went to Stanford, we have family friends in California. Some of my college friends and even high school friends are out there. I'm just going to need to give them notice at work…and pack up my apartment…" Her eyes widened as bits of reality came to light._

 _She gripped lightly to Jonathan's bathrobe as she thought about something else. "We can't elope…" she mentioned quietly._

 _Jonathan listened closely. "That's not a bad suggestion…" he commented._

" _Yes it is," she thought about her statement. "Unless Pa threatens to kill you right off the bat. Then we might have to – for your safety."_

 _The two of them looked at each other and began laughing, nervously._

 _Jonathan stood again and bent down to kiss her lips._

" _Listen," he stayed face to face with her, truly enjoying the close conversations. "Before you give me cold feet about talking to your parents, why don't you call and talk to them?"_

" _Ha…Ha…" Jennifer's deadpan laugh didn't help his thoughts._

 _As if on cue, the phone in the suite rang._

 _Jonathan walked toward the device and picked up after the third ring. "This is Jonathan Hart."_

" _Jonathan," the voice on the other end was familiar. "It's Harry," the man waited just a moment for his boss to acknowledge him._

" _Listen, Jonathan, I know you're staying in London with…is it Miss Edwards? I haven't told a soul at this point, but one of you might want to let her work – and her parents – know what's going on."_

" _Well, thanks for the advice, Harry, but do you know something that we don't? What prompted your phone call?"_

 _Jonathan could hear his top man thumbing rustling papers and counting under his breath._

" _Let's see," Harry held the phone between his cheek and shoulder. "There's two messages from Andi at the New York Post wanting to confirm some interview with you; two more from this same woman asking if Miss Edwards has had any contact with you because a Mr. Stephen Edwards is wanting to report her as 'missing'; and then there are three others from Mr. Edwards, himself, wanting to know, quote, "Where the hell is Jonathan Hart and does he know anything about my daughter's whereabouts."_

 _Jonathan looked toward Jennifer, the phone still attached to his ear, "Damn…Good news sure travels fast," he stated sarcastically. "She's only been missing for a day,"_

" _Excuse me?" Harry wasn't amused._

" _We're on it, Harry." Jonathan informed._

" _We?"_

" _Yes, 'we'… me and Jennifer, er, Miss Edwards," Jonathan practically whined._

" _Jonathan, you haven't done something to her that's going to require legal services, have you?" Harry wondered honestly._

 _Jonathan smiled under Jennifer's watchful eye. "No, Harry, but under the circumstances I may soon need extra protection from Daddy Edwards."_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 7 - Two Harts**


	8. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 8

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 8**

" _Jonathan?" Jennifer's look was concerned as he hung up the phone._

 _Jonathan turned toward her with a little grin. "Your father is onto me."_

" _What?" Jennifer's eyes widened and mouth dropped open._

" _That was Harry," Jonathan started._

" _So I gathered," Jennifer interrupted. "What's he know about my father?" she asked curiously._

 _Jonathan reached a hand out to her, wanting her to join him as he sat down on the couch. She did so hesitantly, still waiting to get the rest of the story._

" _Apparently your father and your co-worker from the Post are concerned that you haven't been in touch with them. I'm willing to bet you have a load of messages on your home phone. And, I'm guessing either Andi called your parents to check on you or vice versa. Harry's got messages from both of them. They are wondering if I've heard from you, because of your upcoming interview…and your father is wondering where both of us are."_

 _Jennifer swallowed a little roughly. "I guess I need to make some phone calls, don't I?" She cringed slightly._

 _Jonathan pressed his lips together and nodded his head. "That might be a good idea. Otherwise I may soon be arrested for kidnapping you. Whether you realize it or not, you've been 'missing' for 24 hours."_

 _Jennifer thought for a moment and looked around for a clock. "I usually call them when I get home. I'm in for a lecture for sure."_

 _Jonathan raised his eyebrows and looked at her. "You're worried about a lecture from your father? I'm about to be interrogated by Scotland Yard and your concerned about a lecture?"_

 _Jennifer raised her own eyebrows and looked him square in the eye. "Welcome to the club, Mister."_

 _Jonathan nodded and grinned at her. "Touché."_

 _He leaned toward her and met her lips for a fun smooch before thinking again about their dilemma._

" _I'm sorry," Jonathan offered, with another peck on her lips._

 _Jennifer shook her head. "I'm a grown woman. I need to accept my punishment."_

 _Jonathan cocked his eyebrows at her as his lips formed the now familiar, pressed together, sexy, inviting smile and his nose twitched slightly._

 _Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Don't start that again. You're the reason my father's blood pressure is hitting the roof and Andi is likely having an anxiety attack."_

 _Jonathan ducked his chin in slight defeat. "When CAN I start again? Honestly, Darling, you're pretty hard to resist sitting there in a bathrobe and my shirt."_

" _Hmph," Jennifer stood and walked three steps around him to the other end of the couch where she could reach the phone. "THAT is also your fault, as you well know. And, the reason poor Max is on a shopping spree for women's clothing."_

 _Jonathan chuckled and scooted a little too close to her, squeezing her, ever-so-slightly, between himself and the arm of the furniture. "I would do it all again if I had to."_

 _Jennifer smiled at him before reaching for the phone. "Let's see how 'Daddy Edwards' reacts to all this before you go to all that trouble."_

 _She took a deep breath and turned her back toward Jonathan for only a moment until she dialed the familiar number and the line began to ring. At that point she scooted herself against her fiancé and gladly accepted his arm wrapped snuggly around her shoulders._

" _Hello, Edwards' residence," the friendly voice answered in Maryland._

" _Walter! It's me, Jennifer. Are my parents home?" She asked as casually as possible._

" _Miss Jennifer!" Walter responded happily. "Yes, Ma'am, they're both here. With whom would you like to speak?" He asked._

" _In all honesty, Walter, I'd love to talk to you and have you relay my message but I bet that won't be acceptable this time…" Jennifer's voice floated over the line._

 _Walter chuckled slightly. "I recall trying that when you were younger. It didn't go over so well then… And, since your father is standing here giving me an evil eye, I suggest, perhaps, you should talk to him directly." Their family friend gave Jennifer as much warning as possible about the next voice she would hear._

" _Jennifer Suzanne, is that you?" The older man's voice was concerned yet a bit perturbed._

It was amazing how well she could read her father's voice even over a thousand miles between them.

" _Hi, Pa… Yes, it's me!"_

 _She sounded ok, Stephen thought to himself. In which case, "Where the hell are you?"_

" _Pa!" Jennifer admonished and heard her mother's voice doing the same from beside him._

" _Are you alright?" Stephen asked quickly._

" _Yes, Sir, I'm just fine." Jennifer offered._

" _Why haven't you called us? And you haven't checked in with work since Friday or Saturday? What's going on with you?" Stephen's voice was anxious; a thousand questions that he wanted her to answer in a split second._

" _Pa… Pa? Dad!" Jennifer tried to interrupt him. "Can Mother answer on an extension?" She was hoping to get through this story just once._

 _Jonathan rubbed her shoulder gently trying to give her silent support._

" _Yes," Stephen answered and turned to his wife. "She wants you to pick up as well."_

 _There was a pregnant pause and then a quiet click as the female head of household got involved._

" _Jenny, Sweetheart, is that you?"_

 _Jonathan could barely hear the higher pitched voice coming from the receiver and first thought that Jennifer was likely much akin to her mother._

" _Yes, Mother, it's me and I'm still in London." She smiled at the sound of the comforting voice, coupled with the comforting hand that was rubbing her shoulder, neck and back._

" _London – why are you still there? What are these stories I've been seeing in the London papers about you…a murder… some kind of takeover business… and who is this Jonathan Hart character?" Stephen continued with the barrage of questions._

" _Stephen, let the girl talk, will you? She's called us. She's alright. If you'd just let her, I'm sure she'll give us more information." Suzanne Edwards had a calming nature – even though she held many of the same questions as her husband._

"Mother, Pa…" Jennifer sighed. "I'm not sure where to start."

"Let's start with WHY you're still in London. You were supposed to be home yesterday. Haven't you spent enough time in the fog over there?"

" _Stephen!" Suzanne admonished again._

" _Pa," Jennifer kept calm. "It's kind of a long story. There's a big part of it that I'd like to tell you all in person if you can wait." She started and looked toward Jonathan who placed a kiss against her temple. They smiled at each other._

" _I'm not a patient man," Stephen quipped._

" _Sweetheart," Suzanne stopped her husband's next tirade and focused on her daughter. "Are you okay? You didn't get sick and have to stay over, did you?"_

 _Jennifer smiled. "No, Ma'am. I'm sure you've read the papers. There was some chaos, but I am fine. After everything calmed down I was trying to make my flight home…but I missed it."_

" _And yet you didn't call to let us know?" Stephen's voice chimed in again._

 _Jennifer took a deep breath._

" _Where are you now?" Suzanne asked._

" _We tried calling your apartment, but the manager said you had turned in your keys. Are you in a hotel?" Stephen wondered, beginning to settle down._

 _She looked around. "Yes," she answered slowly._

 _Suzanne quickly caught onto her intonation. "You're in a hotel, but you aren't alone?"_

" _What?" Stephen started and then quickly stopped, waiting for his daughter to answer._

 _Jennifer sucked in another deep breath, put her free hand on Jonathan's knee and looked at him somewhat seriously. As she let out her breath, she gave away the portion of her long story that mattered most to her._

" _Mom, Dad…" she began, "I've met someone in London. He's an American. We will be coming back to the states next week. And we will see you both next week, I promise. But I'm staying here, with him until then."_

 _Jonathan pulled her closer. He could feel her nervous tension. He wanted to take the phone out of her hand and speak directly to Mr. and Mrs. Edwards right then and there. But Jennifer was laying out the plans for them and he would do his best to follow her orders._

" _You've what?" Stephen started. "It's that Jonathan Hart, isn't it? What on earth, Jennifer, he's some California businessman."_

 _Suzanne was quiet, letting their only child's words move through her._

" _Pa, you're right. It is Jonathan. He's a wonderful man…and yes, he's SOME businessman too."_

 _She turned toward Jonathan and put a hand on his chest. She looked into his eyes as she talked to her father. "I love him, Pa."_

 _The sincerity in her voice kept her father from saying anything else for the moment._

" _Mother, are you still there?" Jennifer wondered, still gazing at Jonathan._

" _I am," Suzanne said quietly._

" _Are you okay?" Jennifer asked, slightly concerned._

" _Yes, Sweetheart, I'm fine." Suzanne laughed softly. "I just… I thought you had gotten wrapped up in something else work related. Jennifer, my baby, I never once thought perhaps…" She stopped, not quite sure of how to finish that sentence._

" _That perhaps I was falling in love?" Jennifer laughed once through her nose as Jonathan smiled at her._

" _When did you meet this man?" Stephen interrupted the mother/daughter moment._

" _Last week," Jennifer's eyes moved over Jonathan's face and settled on his lips. "I tried to get an interview with him and then he accused me of murder."_

" _WHAT?" Suzanne and Stephen both reacted to their daughter's statement._

 _Jonathan and Jennifer laughed together, both hearing the combined surprise on the other end._

" _Are you with him NOW?" Stephen questioned._

" _Yes, Pa," the grown-up daughter let out the breath she had been holding. "I won't lie to you. I'm staying with Jonathan until we fly home next week, or this weekend…" she covered the mouthpiece of the receiver and looked at him with a question._

 _"When are we going home? How are we getting home?"_

 _Suzanne laughed, hearing the muffled voice and the question that obviously wasn't directed at the parents._

" _Why are you laughing?" Stephen questioned his wife._

" _Because she's known this man a week and is so head-over-heels infatuated with him that she doesn't even know which direction she's going!" Suzanne shook her head at the conversation she and her husband were sharing on a phone line between two rooms of their own house._

" _That's not funny, Suzanne. That's dangerous. That's crazy. Jennifer, I insist you catch the next flight home. This whole situation over the past week has driven you insane. You need to come home and let your mother and I take care of you. Walter will cook for you and you can just be here at home to get your mind back together."_

 _As her parents conversed Jennifer leaned in and pressed her lips softly to Jonathan's. Her father's words barely registered with her except for one gentle response._

" _No thanks, Pa."_

" _No thanks, Pa?" Stephen's eyebrows raised to the top of his forehead. "I'm hanging up now. Suzanne, talk some sense into the girl. The last thing I want to hear is that she's shacking up with some man that she met last week in a foreign country."_

 _The loud sound of the phone being slammed back onto the holder sparked Jennifer's common sense. "Mother?"_

" _Yes, Dear?"_

" _I'm not 'shacking up' with Jonathan."_

"Are you sure about that?" Suzanne asked without accusation.

" _Can we at least not call it that?" Jennifer resolved that her mother and father were somewhat correct in that assumption._

" _I know…" Jennifer began on another deep breath. "I know this sounds crazy. It's not like me. But Mom, I love him. And he loves me. It sounds cliché, I realize that. A whirlwind romance isn't what I was looking for. But it's what I've found."_

 _Suzanne listened to her daughter. "You aren't getting married in London, are you?"_

 _Jennifer found herself being pulled into Jonathan's lap as she considered her mother's question. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, placing light kisses on her wherever his lips could touch._

 _Jennifer pushed him back momentarily and ran a finger across the hair on his forehead. "We're not planning on it…at this point."_

" _Jennifer Suzanne!" her mother started._

 _She placed a kiss on Jonathan's forehead and smiled. "No, Mom, we won't elope!" She bit her bottom lip as Jonathan raised his eyebrows in consideration of the idea again. "But I will say that a wedding is not out of the question…in the near future."_

 _Jonathan grinned. There, she had broken the news to her parents._

 _Next step…to meet them in person._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 8 - Two Harts**


	9. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 9

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 9**

 _Jennifer sucked in a long breath and then let it out slowly. She stared at the phone after hanging it up and then blinked a few times before turning to look at Jonathan. She was easily growing accustomed to looking at him eye to eye, and having conversations in close proximity. And in this particular case she was happy to be practically lip to lip with him as it gave her much needed confidence._

" _So, I basically just told my parents that we're getting married…" she accepted a sweet, short kiss from him._

" _And you survived!" Jonathan added, and then he added a few more kisses to her lips and cheek._

 _As he began his route to her ear and then down to her neck she sank into him, loving the feel of his mouth on her skin and just being in his arms. She sighed and hummed which spurred him to continue._

 _Jonathan's lips approached her collarbone again but halted just short of his destination._

" _Darling," his lips reverberated against her shoulder._

" _Don't stop," she said breathily, unwilling to think of anything else at that moment._

 _He smiled against her skin and placed a few more kisses in one spot before pulling away slightly._

" _No," Jennifer's eyes were closed and she refused to admit that he was going to stop his lip-work and begin a different kind of lip work._

" _No?" Jonathan asked and watched her._

 _Her head was tilted backwards, offering him ample access to any area that he would like to kiss, above the collar of the bathrobe, at least. Her eyes remained closed, lips slightly parted and her breath came gently and easily as she relaxed against him._

 _When she realized that he wasn't continuing his relaxing attention she raised her head and opened her eyes slowly._

" _You're gorgeous," he smiled at her, "you know that?"_

 _She licked her lips slowly but refused to return his smile._

" _What?" he wondered._

" _I told you not to stop," she looked him square in the eye with her slight frustration._

" _But you have another call to make," Jonathan suggested._

 _Jennifer slouched her shoulders. She leaned her head back again, momentarily, tempting him with an area that she already knew he adored. Then, on second thought, she adjusted herself in his lap and put her arms around his neck._

 _She took on the dominant position, her face above his. She ran her teeth over her bottom lip and then licked the spot with her tongue, tantalizing him. She pressed her forehead against his._

" _I think I deserve a little congratulatory kiss, don't you?"_

 _Jennifer put her lips on his and dared him to pull away. For a few moments he didn't resist. Jonathan was loving her boldness, and that he was the recipient. He couldn't wait to get her home so they could truly 'play house' together._

 _He did resist letting his mind go too far…this time. As she engaged their tongues and pressed her body to his Jonathan thought about the man who had been murdered – a friend of Jennifer's. He thought about being chased by the police through London. He thought of the fight that ensued when he had to rescue Jennifer in the Bloody Tower._

 _And then, against her lips and against her wandering hands, he grinned like a Cheshire cat._

 _Jennifer tried to continue arousing him. She even began untying the belt of his robe, letting her hands roam lower and lower on his body. But when she felt his mouth change shapes and his tongue retracted from hers she had to stop._

 _She pulled back and looked at his smiling face._

" _Are you going to tell me that did nothing for you…nothing at all?" She asked with more frustration leaking from her voice._

 _Jonathan did his best to wipe the smile from his face but failed miserably. "Oh no, Darling, I can't say that at all." He leaned forward to kiss her lips but she turned a cold cheek toward him so he planted his lips there for a quick smack._

" _I'm actually so turned on by you right now that I could roll you onto the floor and make love to you."_

" _So what's stopping you?" She asked, knowing almost 100% that he was lying to her thanks to the fact that she was nearly straddling him._

" _We both know, I think, that our making love, right now, right here, would set off a chain of events… First…it wouldn't be quick. So, once we're naked, here in the middle of the living room floor, we would be completely lost to the outside world for hours._

 _Second…Max would walk in on us. Granted he almost did that earlier, but at least then we had a chance to make sure we were covered. He can admire your hair all he wants but that's about ALL of you that I want him admiring!_

 _And Three…if we get all wrapped up in each other again, then you're going to forget about calling Andi."_

 _Jennifer pouted. "Andi can wait."_

 _Jonathan tilted his head forward, a warning glance that told her that wasn't the answer he wanted._

 _Jennifer shrugged her shoulders and placed her hands on Jonathan's leaning in again for another taste of his lips._

" _Can I help it that I just can't resist your charms?" she gave him her best innocent look._

 _Jonathan swallowed, breathed out and shook his head. "Your words will come back to haunt you."_

 _Jennifer bit her lip gently and smiled at him._

 _He nodded his head toward the phone. "Call Andi," he instructed._

 _She slid off his lap and picked up the telephone handset. "Sit here with me, please?" she requested._

 _Jonathan smiled at her and nodded. "I'm not going anywhere without you."_

 _Jennifer dialed the memorized number and then reached back for Jonathan's hand. She squeezed tightly as the tones began to sound in her ear._

" _New York Post, how may I direct your call, please?" The operator answered kindly._

" _Andi Prescott, please. Extension 2108." Jennifer requested._

" _Yes, Ma'am, hold one moment please."_

 _Jennifer listened to the soft music playing in the background and looked down at her hand linked with Jonathan's as he caressed her knuckles, easing her tensions._

 _With a quick click the next voice answered. "Andi Prescott, how can I help you?" She sounded harried._

" _Andi?" Jennifer responded a bit quietly._

" _Who is this… Wait, Jennifer, is that you?"_

 _Jennifer could hear excitement building in Andi's voice but waited for the ceiling to drop._

" _Jennifer Edwards, I hope to hell you are alright but I swear to you I'm going to kill you!"_

 _There it was._

 _Jennifer pulled the phone away from her ear as a few other choice words flowed from Andi's mouth over the phone line._

 _Jonathan laughed._

" _This is your FRIEND?" He asked her softly._

 _Jennifer smiled and rolled her eyes._

" _Where the hell are you?" Andi was asking._

" _Geez, Andi, can you give me a little break, please? You sound like my father." Jennifer shot back._

" _Your father wouldn't curse at you." Andi suggested._

" _Not true. He just asked me the same question, verbatim, about a half hour ago."_

" _Well, huh," Andi stalled slightly. "So what'd you tell him?"_

" _The same thing I'm going to tell you." She took a second to look into Jonathan's blue eyes as she spoke to her friend. "I'm still in London. I missed my flight home. There were some…complications."_

 _Jonathan raised his eyebrows at her choice of words._

" _Jen, are you okay?" Andi wondered with slight concern._

" _Okay, complications may not be the right word. Let's say my plans were altered."_

 _Jonathan pressed his lips together and nodded his head in an accepting fashion._

" _Did you get my message about the interview with Jonathan Hart?" Andi wondered._

 _Jennifer smiled. "Yes, in a round-about way."_

" _What's that mean?"_

" _Do you have a couple of minutes, Andi?" Jennifer took in a breath and once more leaned back against her fiancé. He had supported her through one parental conversation, and he would gladly be there for this one as well._

 _Andi put Jennifer on hold and moved into their boss's office where she could have a little more privacy from the busy newsroom._

" _Alright, I'm all ears," Andi claimed. "Spill it."_

" _Jonathan called you yesterday." She stopped, waiting to see if Andi would take the bait._

" _Jonathan?" Andi had already been on 15 other calls about 10 other stories since the previous day. "Oh, Mr. Hart! Yes – wait did you get my messages? You're still in London, you missed your flight? Oh, thank God, it's only Monday. You can interview this guy on Thursday – hang on let me find his phone number for you. Lucky break, missing your flight!"_

 _Jennifer grinned. "Andi – it's okay. I've got his number." She looked back at Jonathan who winked at her adoringly. She certainly had his number. And as far as he was concerned she could have anything else of his that she wanted._

" _Oh, good," Jennifer's coworker sighed. "So you did get my messages, then. Did you get with him? Are you set to talk to him?" She wondered honestly._

" _Oh…" Jennifer nodded, "I got with him alright." She smiled widely as Jonathan gave her a surprised look. She was certainly more jovial talking with her friend than she was with her parents._

" _Now what's that supposed to mean? He was very cordial on the phone when I talked to him. Was he rude to you? Please don't tell me he's a jerk. He looks too good, Jen. I hate to think of him as some stuck up bastard."_

" _Andi!" Jennifer interrupted her girlfriend._

" _Oh, sorry, I'm just hoping he's not…a stuck up bastard, that is."_

 _Jennifer laughed into the receiver. "He's not, Andi. Although my first contact with him wasn't the best. And when Jonathan and I actually first met, he called me a few choice words."  
_

" _Hey!" Jonathan defended himself from right beside her._

" _What?" Andi questioned her statement and then realized a third voice had entered the conversation. "Jennifer, who's with you?"_

" _I know, I know, Darling, we've covered that already," she placed her hand lightly over the phone as she leaned toward Jonathan and placed an apologetic kiss on his lips to keep him from saying more._

" _Jennifer?" Andi prodded._

" _Hmmm?" Jennifer turned her attention back to the phone line. "Oh, Sorry Andi, I was just picking on Jonathan."_

" _Jonathan… Jonathan?" Realization began to touch Andi's thoughts. "As in… Jonathan Hart?"_

" _Yes," Jennifer stopped with just the simple answer._

" _Wait. If you're with Jonathan Hart right now…you just called him 'Darling'…it's the middle of the afternoon, London time… You aren't supposed to have your interview with him until Thursday…" she continued attempting to fit the pieces together. "Jen, what the hell is going on?"_

" _Potty mouth!" she admonished her friend._

 _Jonathan watched her happily. She was much more relaxed now and he enjoyed her animated self. His eyes moved over her body taking in her hand motions, her happy tones and the beauty that was simply his Jennifer._

 _He moved away from her to get himself a drink which caused Jennifer to put a hand on his knee quickly. She covered the line again as she looked at him, a little less relaxed. "Where are you going?" she asked in a whisper._

" _Just to get some water. Do you want something?" He asked and stood as she watched him carefully._

 _Jonathan smiled at her, bent and placed a kiss against her temple. "I told you. I'm not going anywhere without you…except to get a drink and maybe go to the bathroom – if that's ok?"_

 _Jennifer tilted her head with a sarcastic look. "Don't be long," she instructed. "Do you have a soda, or ginger ale?"_

 _Jonathan smiled widely at her. "I'll see what I can find."_

" _Jennifer?" Andi was still waiting for a clearer picture._

" _Andi…I'm in love." She let the words spill from her mouth._

" _What?" Andi sat back in the leather office chair more than a bit surprised._

" _I…I can't even explain it. All the chaos that's gone on this past week, over here. Trying to get an interview with Jonathan and then I ran into him in the hotel bar and we danced and we drank and I came back to his hotel room…and then Brooks was killed and we got shot at and had this mad car chase through London…then I got kidnapped and he rescued me and then he had me arrested…and then he proposed to me."_

 _Jennifer stopped to take a breath and to let her run on sentences make sense to the New York reporter on the other end._

" _What the…he proposed to you?" Andi caught the final part of Jennifer's explanation._

" _Oh, God, wait, Andi. You can't tell anybody that part. I didn't tell my parents that part. Jonathan wants to talk to Dad before anyone knows there's an engagement. You've gotta swear not to tell anyone." She begged her friend._

" _But Jennifer, this is front page news!" Andi practically exclaimed, teasing her friend._

" _Andrea Darlene Prescott don't you dare!" Jennifer's breath hitched at the thought._

" _You're engaged to Jonathan Hart? THE Jonathan Hart? You're engaged…to be married?"_

" _Yes," Jennifer nodded. "To all three of those, yes…" She smiled and looked up into Jonathan's handsome face as he returned carrying a glass of cola for her and water for himself._

 _He handed her the glass, and then sat back down beside her, placing his hand on the back of the couch and tugging gently on her arm asking her to cuddle against him again. She took a sip of her drink and did exactly as he wanted, making herself comfortable in his arms._

" _When did you meet him? You've only known him a week – Jennifer, this is nuts!"_

" _I know," her pitch was slightly higher as she agreed with Andi. "I know. But," she leaned her head against Jonathan's shoulder and graciously accepted the kiss that he placed on the top of her head and the soothing stroke of his hand against her shoulder and bicep._

" _But?" Andi prodded._

" _But they say that when you fall in love, and it's the right person," she linked the fingers of her free hand into his hand on her lap, "you just know."_

" _Oh my God, you're serious about all this," Andi listened to her friend._

" _I am, Andi. I fell in love with him the moment he asked me to dinner, the first time we met."_

Jennifer recalled dancing with Jonathan and how relaxed she felt in his arms. She had resisted letting her cheek touch his as they danced and then, when she forgot about work, about Jonathan Hart, the businessman, and let her heart meet Jonathan Hart, the man, she fell. Jennifer smiled and raised Jonathan's hand to her lips, placing soft kisses against his fingers.

" _Little did I realize, he was apparently falling in love with me too. And…I'm learning…when Mr. Hart wants something…he can usually get it. He's a hard guy to say 'no' to." She offered Jonathan her lips for a soft kiss letting him know she wasn't upset by that idea at all._

" _This is nuts." Andi could imagine Jennifer wearing a pair of lovey-dovey eyes and using them to stare at this handsome millionaire. "You're not joking with me, here, Jen, right?"_

 _Jennifer looked back at the phone. She shook her head. "No, I swear to you Andi, I'm sitting here with Jonathan Hart. I'm engaged to Jonathan Hart. I will be flying back to New York with Jonathan Hart on his jet and I will see you next Monday or Tuesday – as long as we both survive the meeting with my mom and dad."_

" _Sheesh," Andi sighed. "Has anything else happened with Jonathan Hart that I need to be aware of?" she wondered jokingly._

 _Jennifer blushed and flicked her tongue across the end of Jonathan's index finger. "Nothing that I'm willing to share over the phone…except that I plan to extend our engagement celebration as long as possible, without leaving the hotel."_

 _Andi gasped. Jonathan gave a wanting groan. And Jennifer promptly hung up the phone._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 9 - Two Harts**


	10. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 10

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 10**

" _Well," Jennifer hung up the phone receiver, took a sip of her drink and adjusted herself to be fully against Jonathan as they sat on the couch. "That's done," she announced._

 _Jonathan also took a drink of his water and wrapped his other arm comfortably around her shoulders to keep her body near his. "Now was that so hard?"_

" _I'll let you reserve that judgment until you actually meet Mom and Pa and Andi in person." She smiled and twisted her neck until she could look into his face._

" _I should expect the third degree?" Jonathan looked at her with raised eyebrows._

" _And the fourth, fifth and sixth degrees too, I suspect." She smiled as she piled on the pressure and then puckered her lips. "But that won't be for another few days. No reason to get stressed out about it yet."_

" _Really?" Jonathan did his best to keep a serious, concerned look on his face. "This may bother me more than you realize." He licked his lips and looked away from her into open air._

" _I bet I can take your mind off of it…" Jennifer sat her glass on the table and turned toward him, trying to regain his attention._

" _No," Jonathan pursed his lips in thought, pretending to ignore her. "The more I think about this the more I think we should go ahead and fly back to the East Coast. We could be in Maryland tomorrow so I can meet your parents…"_

" _But …" Jennifer protested. She leaned toward him and pressed her lips to his cheek.  
_

 _Jonathan glanced down at her and worked not to grin. "Your father sounded pretty upset. I bet your mom won't be a fan of mine either. And Andi…she sounds like some kamikaze, protective 'friend' of yours. Are all your friends like her?"_

" _Hey!" Jennifer pulled away from him and noticed the grin forming on his face. "Don't judge my friends that you haven't even met yet!"_

" _Ahhh, now I'm beginning to see the real you, aren't I?" He finally faced Jennifer again with the smile on her face._

 _Jennifer looked at his lips and then raised her eyes slowly to meet his eyes. "I thought you liked what you've seen of me so far. And hasn't that been ALL of me?" She recalled his words from earlier in the morning._

 _Jonathan adjusted his hips, turning to face her fully before his eyes wandered over her face and upper body. "I think," he ran a finger along her hairline, "I need to review the material."_

"Do I need to be concerned about your short term memory?" She kissed the tip of his finger when it found its way to her lips.

" _It's been hours since I've seen you…" he tried, letting his finger slide over her chin and down to the 'v' in her robe._

" _I've been right here the whole time," Jennifer rolled her eyes. "And you MADE me make those phone calls. I wanted to…test your memory, but apparently you weren't in the mood to study!" Jennifer let her own hand slip under the opening of Jonathan's robe._

" _Whatever was I thinking?" Jonathan leaned his face toward her and placed his lips on hers. "I think I may need some private tutoring on this subject…"_

 _Both smiled as their lips pressed together. Quickly the smiles faded and the kiss intensified. His tongue probed hers, feeling her suck gently to keep his mouth in her grasp._

 _Jennifer loved feeling his chest under her fingers, running her nails through the hairs and massaging his pectorals with her delicate fingertips. She knew he was pushing her backwards but didn't care in the least when she found herself underneath him once more._

 _This time when he untied the belt of her robe he found the starched white dress shirt that he had given her. He raised himself up to look at her as he pushed the robe away and admired the way his shirt clung to her._

" _I like this look," his voice spoke from his heart that was beginning to beat stronger in his chest._

 _Jennifer took the chance to remove his robe as well, leaving him shirtless and in the pajama pants that left her imagining just how aroused he was at that moment. She slid her hands to his waist and teased him, running her index fingers just under the elastic of his waistband._

 _When she inadvertently made contact with the object of her desires Jonathan closed his eyes and pulled in a long breath through his nose._

" _Someone's already benefitting from his tutoring," she pressed her lips together and ran her fingers farther into his pants._

" _Jen-nifer," he struggled to say her name._

" _Hmmm?" She was intent on getting a peek of what lay beneath his pj bottoms._

" _Not…here…" He pushed a breath through his lips and opened his eyes._

" _Yes," she contradicted him. "Right here."_

"Max could come back at any time," he tried to discourage her with no luck as she pushed the silky material down onto his hips.

" _Jonathan," Jennifer licked her lips as his length began to escape. "You've already proven to me that you like to live dangerously."_

 _He again closed his eyes as her hands went to work on him. He felt her moving and soon realized she was trying to roll them over, putting his back against the cushions. Without questioning her he obliged._

" _Let me…" she perched herself on his chest for just a moment as Jonathan grasped her shoulders. She pressed a kiss to his lips and then began kissing her way down his body._

 _Jonathan watched as she approached his most sensitive appendage. She looked up at him before touching again and smiled seductively. "May I?"_

 _His body shivered as he nodded. "Jennifer…"_

She shook her head. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of chances to pay me back." She cupped her hand over him and enjoyed his groan of pleasure.

" _Darling," Jonathan called out to her in a gravelly voice._

 _Jennifer looked at him, placed a soft kiss against his tip and then met his eyes._

" _I love you." Jonathan placed an arm under his head to prop himself up enough to watch as she began tending to the pleasure she was choosing to bestow upon him._

 _Jonathan exited the bathroom to find her sitting on the bed with a newspaper and pen in hand, her knees bent, using the Bible from the nightstand as her writing board._

" _Comparing work?" He questioned and quickly climbed onto the bed beside her._

 _Jennifer looked at him and smiled. His wet, tousled hair from the shower was adorable. He again had his bathrobe tied around him but had forgone slipping into another pair of his sleep pants. His legs were sexy too. She blinked and blushed remembering how his leg muscles had tensed just before she had taken him over the edge._

 _She turned toward him and happily accepted his kiss._

" _Just doing the crossword puzzle," she informed him. He watched as she nibbled on the end of the pen and looked back at the next clue._

" _You should've joined me in the shower," Jonathan kissed her cheek and then began nuzzling her neck with his nose._

" _What, and have Max walk in on us there?" she laughed slightly at his tickling actions._

 _Jonathan leaned back enough to look at her face to face. "This from the woman who just stripped me down and did unspeakable things to me in the living room?!"_

" _I didn't completely…strip you…" Jennifer pressed her lips together in thought. There was a good reason he couldn't put his other sleepwear back on; at least not until they had been properly washed…_

 _Jonathan shook his head and grinned his sexy sideways smile that Jennifer apparently found sexually encouraging._

 _She cocked her eyebrows at him as she eyed him wantingly. "We'll save that to christen our house when we find one," she winked at him._

 _Jonathan fell back against the pillows and groaned. "Aw, you're killing me here. Are you sure we can't head back home now? I'm ready to set a wedding date and get our lives started together."_

 _Jennifer put down the paper and stretched her legs, turning toward him. She put her arms around his neck and smiled widely. "I thought you wanted more tutoring before we have to head home. Besides, wedding date or not, I think we're already getting started together, aren't we?"_

" _Yeah," Jonathan put his lips against hers and held them in a loving kiss._

 _Noises from outside the bedroom door cause them both to take note and sit up. A door closed and a gruff voice spoke as they heard the sound of boxes and paper or plastic rustling around._

" _Max!" They spoke in unison and Jonathan grinned._

" _Perfect timing!" He scooted toward the edge of the bed and began to stand. Jennifer looked at him and waited for Jonathan to round the bed to help her up. They shared another hug and kiss before going to face the other member of their up and coming family._

 _The two robed adults wandered out of the bedroom. Max removed his cap and coat and looked at them, shaking his head._

" _Probably a good thing you sent me shopping. Do I need to get another room or do yous think I'll be safe to stay here with you?"_

 _Jonathan and Jennifer snickered like teenagers._

" _We've actually had a productive few hours, Max," Jonathan attempted._

" _Productive. Is that what you're calling it these days?" Max sized them both up, holding his cigar in his hand as he moved it up and down, pointing to them both still in bathrobes._

" _I had nothing to change into," Jennifer reminded him with not-so-innocent, raised eyebrows._

" _Psshh, yeah," Max nodded sarcastically. "At least when I left he had pants on," he pointed at Jonathan, soliciting another childish chuckle from the happy couple._

 _Max shook his head again and pointed toward the stack of boxes and wardrobe bags sitting just inside the door._

" _What the…" Jonathan looked at no less than eight boxes and three dress bags. At least four different store names were imprinted on the packages. "Did you get in touch with your feminine side all of a sudden?"_

" _What?" Max held a hand out, cigar returned to his mouth. "You sent me out to get clothes for Mrs. H. God only knows where her bags ended up from the flight. And I'm making a bet that we aren't going directly back home when we leave here. She's gonna need stuff."_

 _Jonathan placed his hands on his hips and shook his head._

 _Jennifer just stared. She swallowed a small lump that formed in her throat as she looked at the boxes and then at Jonathan and finally Max._

" _These…are all…for me?" She asked quietly._

" _Well I ain't gonna wear 'em, that's for sure," Max attempted to joke before noting her soft gaze fixed on him._

 _Jennifer walked toward the older gentleman and wrapped her arms around his waist. She placed her head on his shoulder and was very happy when she felt his arms slowly wrap around her back._

" _What's that for?" Max asked, still trying to be the gruff adult of the three._

" _You called me 'Mrs. H.'" Jennifer spoke with her head still on his shoulder, as though she were hugging her father. "And that's too much. Max, you didn't need to get all of this. Thank you."_

 _Max shrugged his shoulders, slightly uncomfortable with the embrace, blushing at her hold on him, and yet thrilled that she didn't hesitate to show him some affection as well._

 _Jonathan stood back, taking in the sight that felt completely right to him._

" _I was just trying out the name," Max finally admitted as she relinquished her hold. "I think it suits you, though, don't you?"_

 _Jennifer pulled away from him and sniffled back the tears that dripped happily from her eyes. She wiped them away quickly, realizing she was giving away her soft side pretty easily._

" _I like it," she smiled at Max._

" _And you haven't even seen what's in the boxes. You better save the thanks 'til you see what I got ya."_

" _If there are jeans and t-shirts in there I'll be just fine," Jennifer knew that was far from the case in these boxes._

 _Max rolled his eyes. "If I'd known that my shopping trip would've been a lot easier. By the way, Mr. H.," he looked toward Jonathan. "You won't mind if I'm out this evening, will you? I met a nice lady, named Mildred, at Harrods who offered to treat me to dinner and a show."_

 _Jonathan raised his eyebrows and looked again at the packages. He noticed the majority of them were marked from the department store Max had just mentioned._

" _Did this, um, Mildred, happen to be the one you asked for help?" Jonathan assumed._

" _I did what you told me to do. Mildred just happened to be on my wavelength," Max explained._

" _Did she take pity on you – buying for your niece?" Jonathan looked at Max with raised eyebrows._

" _She took pity on me, being sent to purchase clothes for my boss's fiancée who missed her flight home to the states," Max corrected._

" _I see." Jonathan stated._

" _And, because of that situation, she took additional pity on me and invited me to dinner and a show."_

"Uh huh," Jonathan nodded.

 _Jennifer grinned at the two men. She was slightly nervous to interrupt their decades-long relationship by becoming part of their lives. But on the other hand, she was anxious to learn more about that relationship, by being a part of their future._

" _I think," Jennifer bent down to pick up one of the bags and a box, "that I'll just take these in the bedroom and see what you picked for me, Max." She stepped toward him again and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You and Mildred have a lovely evening," she smiled, looked at Jonathan and then glanced back at the other boxes._

 _Jonathan immediately abandoned his barrage of questions for Max and turned his attention to Jennifer. Max laughed once at the silent communication that was already forming between the two of them._

" _You want an extra hand with those?" he asked as Jonathan picked up three of the boxes and followed Jennifer into the bedroom._

" _Nah," Jonathan tucked a box under his chin. "You got 'em this far, Max. Surely we can get 'em the other 15 feet away."_

 _Jennifer laughed._

" _By the way," Jonathan looked back quickly at Max and lowered his voice. "Do I want to know how much this set me back?"_

 _Max lowered his eyebrows with a stern look. "Mr. H., does it matter, really?"_

 _Jonathan shook his head._

 _Max smiled. "I didn't think so. Nothin' is gold or diamond studded. I figured you'd put those to use on her engagement ring," he chuckled._

 _Jonathan hung his head only slightly pegged by his dear friend._

" _What's the matter now?" Max looked at him remembering the little boy that he'd watched grow into this man._

" _I hadn't even thought about an engagement ring, yet," he sighed._

 _Max crossed his arms over his chest. "THAT I ain't buyin' for you."_

 _Jonathan looked at his friend and smiled. "THAT I'll take care of once I win over her mother and father."_

 _Max chuckled and kept his comments to himself. He didn't doubt Jonathan would find the perfect ring for Jennifer. But if he truly planned to wait until the parents were in their corner Max imagined the ring might be on extended layaway._

 _Jennifer stepped out of the bedroom to grab the other clothes that Max had purchased for her. She looked back and forth between the two men. "Everything okay out here?" she wondered as she took in their faces._

 _Jonathan smiled at her. "Fine, Darling. Just giving Max some tips for his date with Mildred."_

 _Max rolled his eyes. Jennifer smiled at both of them and ventured back into the bedroom._

" _Do you need any help, Darling?" Jonathan asked after her._

" _No thanks," Jennifer answered sweetly but then promptly closed and locked the door before he could come in. She had a hunch Mildred had packed something more inside the boxes than pantsuits, dresses and everyday wear. Although Max might know what the packages contained – maybe – she preferred to see everything for herself before sharing any of the outfits with Jonathan._

 _She started with the wardrobe bags, unzipping them to reveal skirts, blouses and what she would consider work dresses. But the last one made Jennifer's mouth drop open as she stared. A beautiful red evening gown hung in the bag with a strand of small pearls and a pair of 3" black heels._

 _Jennifer pulled the dress out and held it up to herself. She wondered two things: 1) Was red Jonathan's favorite color? And 2) Would he like her wearing this beautiful red gown?_

 _She ran a hand over the material and then hung the dress in the closet near Jonathan's clothes. She figured she would gauge his reaction to it, IF he noticed it hanging there._

 _In the boxes were pants, more tops, and a week's worth of underwear. She noticed a few camisoles and a nightgown as well. Then, as she had thought, two smaller boxes were tucked inside one of the Harrod's packages. She lifted the lid on the first to find another red garment._

 _This one was much more delicate than the dress, with much less fabric. The lace negligee wasn't something she would've chosen for herself – at least not before meeting Jonathan. And, she couldn't imagine it was something that Max would've chosen. However, if he had been more straightforward with Mildred, she may have run beyond Max's suggestions._

 _So, she wasn't too surprised when the other box held a black teddy with matching undergarments._

 _She held up the lingerie and looked at herself in the mirror, placing the lace against her. She blushed at the idea of wearing it for Jonathan and decided quickly that this piece would somehow be saved for their wedding night._

 _Now, all she had to do was get it home – without him seeing it._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 10 - Two Harts**


	11. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 11

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 11**

 _Jonathan waited patiently in the living room. Max had given him a rundown of the main things he had purchased and he gave his boss an envelope that held receipts, in case something didn't fit. Then the butler had changed his shirt and left the suite to take in an afternoon of poker with some of the hotel staff._

 _After a half hour Jennifer emerged from the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her hair but wearing a lovely pair of slacks and a matching sweater. Jonathan smiled._

" _Everything seem to fit alright?" he wondered as she came to the couch, leaned down and immediately gave him a loving kiss._

" _Mm-hmm," she answered as she looked around, in search of something._

" _What's missing?" Jonathan asked._

" _I hope I have a brush in my purse," Jennifer commented. She pushed a bit of the towel farther away from her eyebrows and then spotted her clutch on a table._

" _Do we need to do some more shopping?" he watched as she grabbed the leather bag and opened it to look through._

 _She tilted her head and smiled at him. "I will need to, yes. But I at least have a brush and some makeup and hairspray to get me out the door."_

 _Jennifer pulled out the brush, a small bottle of spray and her compact. She headed back toward the bedroom but stopped when Jonathan held his hand out over the back of the couch. She placed a hand in his and looked down at his face._

" _You don't need any makeup. Let me run my fingers through your hair and it'll be perfect. And as for you going out shopping alone?" He shook his head, raised his eyebrows and spoke to her with his eyes. "You're not going anywhere without me."_

 _She gave him a grateful smile, leaned down and placed another kiss on his lips as she put a hand on his cheek. "Darling," she spoke softly as though someone else was listening, "there are some things a woman needs to get for herself."_

 _Jonathan shook his head. "Are you trying to spare me some embarrassment, or yourself?"_

 _Jennifer rocked her head back and forth in thought. "A little of both, I suppose."_

 _Jonathan reached up with his hand and ran his thumb across her cheekbone. "Let's be embarrassed together," he smiled. "I won't mind a few moments of blushing if you don't. Besides, I'll eventually need to know what you buy anyway, won't I?"_

 _Jennifer creased her eyebrows. "Not always!" she joked. "I have to keep a few surprises up my sleeve. We've only known each other a week as it is."_

 _Jonathan nodded, not content that she didn't agree with his thoughts._

" _You're just afraid that I'll escape to the airport and catch the next flight home," she attempted to put a humorous thought in his mind._

" _Would you?" Jonathan asked._

 _Jennifer saw what she thought was a hint of fear in his eyes. The blue turned slightly gray and she noticed just a little tension in his temples._

 _So she placed her hand on his cheek again, bent down and instigated a kiss that she hoped would calm his anxiety. She held his lips against hers, slid her tongue across the crease of his mouth and found happiness when he allowed her to break through, the tips of their taste buds meeting in a simple display of love._

 _Jonathan kept his eyes closed for a moment when she pulled away._

" _Let me finished getting dressed. Would you mind just grabbing dinner here in the hotel and then running to the corner shop with me to get what I need?"_

 _He smiled sweetly at her but didn't say a word. In return she took his hand in hers and placed a kiss on his palm. She rubbed the tingling area with her thumb before placing his hand back on the couch and walking away._

 _Jonathan rubbed the same spot with his own thumb, and then touched his lips where she had kissed him. He didn't know what the world might have in store for him and Mrs. H. in the future, but for the next few days he would be content just being together._

 _A dish clanging in the kitchen woke Jennifer from her sleep._

 _She and Jonathan had enjoyed a relaxed evening out. A casual dinner, a little shopping for necessities and then a walk around the area near The Ritz had been wonderful. She knew both of them had worn smiles on their faces the entire time. That was their best option for telling the world to leave them alone because they only had eyes for each other._

 _When they had returned to the empty hotel suite Jonathan turned on music and they danced for an hour, almost silently, sharing soft kisses and just being in each others' arms. That was followed by what each considered a nearly normal night time ritual… face washing, teeth brushing and then the addition of making love into the late hours._

 _She noted the time, 7:00AM, and had to blink to make sure she was seeing it correctly. Jennifer attempted to sit up but then realized Jonathan hadn't made the noise outside the room because he was still sound asleep with his arm draped protectively over her chest._

 _She smiled, a happy woman with the man she loved._

 _Jennifer realized that she hadn't put on the nightgown again after their lovemaking. Instead, as she awoke, it was Jonathan's pajama top that felt so soft against her skin. He had delicately peeled the nightgown off her shoulders and down her body as part of their foreplay. She guessed she may need to check the foot of the bed, between the sheets, to retrieve the garment._

 _Another rattle in the other part of the makeshift apartment made her move a little more strongly. She didn't want to wake Jonathan so she cautiously pushed his arm down toward her thighs until she could move herself off the bed._

" _Not without me," he mumbled as his arm drifted to the mattress._

 _She slid a bathrobe over her arms and made sure it was secured with the belt, then she walked to the other side of the bed, leaned over him and placed a kiss on his temple._

" _I'm not going anywhere without you," she whispered._

" _Mine," he responded, reminding her of how he had referred to her body before they were completely entangled the previous night._

" _Yours," she answered definitively, to which he took in a deep breath and seemed to relax completely._

 _Jennifer stood over him for another moment, making sure he wasn't waking. She knew she was staring at him but didn't care in the least. She, too, breathed in deeply. Then she turned and headed out of the bedroom and down the hall._

 _She felt only slightly nervous but a little excited. With Jonathan asleep, this was her first opportunity for a little alone time with Max._

 _Jennifer stood at the door for a moment watching the older gentleman with a frumpy robe wrapped around his body, a pair of pajamas and house slippers. Max's hair was a mess which made her smile. He was humming as he pulled a skillet out of a drawer and set it on the stove._

 _As he turned toward the refrigerator he noticed the other figure standing there._

" _Good Morning," Jennifer smiled at him and leaned against the door frame._

" _Oh, hey, you startled me, Mrs. H. What are you doin' up at this hour?" Max asked._

 _He went back to his task of grabbing eggs, cheese and some vegetables out of the fridge to make an omelet. Before she could answer his first question he asked another._

" _Are you hungry? I can make you some eggs or an omelet or something if you are."_

 _Jennifer took that as enough of an invitation to actually enter the kitchen. She leaned against a counter, hoping she was out of his way._

" _Actually, I am hungry. Jonathan and I had a kind of early dinner last night. That was the last thing I had to eat, down in the hotel restaurant," she explained._

" _What's your pleasure?" Max held up the container of eggs._

" _Scrambled, please?" Jennifer requested. "You don't have to cook for me, you know. I can –"_

 _Max interrupted her with a grin. "Mrs. H…. Miss Edwards… Jennifer… I won't cook for you because I have to. I'll cook for you because it's what I do. This is the kind of thing that makes me happy."_

 _She smiled back at him. "Do you cook for Mr. H. every day?"_

 _Max nodded as he turned on the fire under the skillet. "Pretty much. He's a busy man, got a lot on his plate. A man's gotta eat some breakfast before he gets going in the day. He can cook for himself, I know, but it's just a way that I can help him out."_

" _What else do you do for him, Max?" Jennifer took a chance, opening a cabinet and finding plates. She took out two of them and sat them near the stove. Then she began looking through drawers until she found eating utensils._

" _Meh," Max started with a shrug of his shoulders before grabbing a spatula to flip the eggs. "I drive him around, I clean the house, I help keep track of his schedule. He has a lot of meetings but he does a lot of work from home. He don't like spending a lot of time in that fancy office of his. Says he'd rather be home playing gin with me than sitting in his big cushy chair."_

Jennifer listened intently.

" _Cheese? Peppers?" Max looked toward her and pointed the spatula at the other available ingredients._

 _Already the breakfast was smelling wonderful so Jennifer didn't hesitate to indulge. She was anxious to get a home cooked meal and this one just might give her a little insight to future conversations._

 _She nodded for both and then offered to make a pot of coffee._

 _Max shrugged and allowed her to start working on the morning get-me-up._

" _Max?" She continued talking to him as she put a filter into the coffee pot and then began scooping some of the dark roasted grounds. "Was Jonathan still at the orphanage when you met him?"_

 _The older man's heart warmed as he realized she was working to get to know him – and wanting to know more about Jonathan, through him._

" _Yeah," his gruff voice answered. "He was a little trouble maker, but he had this kinda Tom Sawyer way about him. You know, he could get the other boys to do stuff for him. He would pay 'em off with little toys, or candy that he used to swipe from the store down the street."_

 _Jennifer grinned widely. "So he's always been a charmer?"_

" _Pssh," Max rolled his eyes and shook his head. "If you want to call it that. I was in the service, you know, and I was home on leave for a couple of weeks 'cause my baby brother got real sick and didn't make it. He was about Mr. H's age, I guess, like 9 or 10 years old._

 _After his wake, me and my sisters were walking down the street by the orphanage. They saw this kid out on the sidewalk playing marbles and scamming other kids. My sisters thought he was adorable but I saw him for what he was – a little thief!"_

 _Jennifer started the coffee pot and then leaned against the counter again. "It was Jonathan?"_

 _Max nodded. "I decided to go back by there the next day and he was doing the same kind of thing except they were playing cards. I called him over and asked him what his game was. He told me they were making 'investments' in his future company."_

 _Jennifer shook her head. "Shrewd business senses already. I'm impressed!"_

 _Max pressed his lips together telling her that he had not been impressed at that point._

" _I told him if he would quit taking the other kids' money then *I* would invest in his future company. But he had to get on the straight and narrow and stay there without gettin' arrested."_

 _Max turned back to the stove to finish making breakfast. Jennifer watched him scoop eggs onto each plate and followed his wordless orders when Max pointed toward the table. She sat down and gladly let him serve her the wonderfully smelling food._

 _Max also poured them both a cup of coffee and grabbed the cream and sugar dishes before taking a seat across from her._

" _I guess he took your advice?" Jennifer wanted to know more._

" _Yeah, I guess you could say that." Max took a bite or two and continued. "Whenever I got to come home for a weekend or holiday I would go check on him. And my sisters kept an eye on him too. He did pretty good. So when he was about 13 and wanted a job, a got him a sport coat so he could go to a interview to be a newspaper boy."_

" _So you took Jonathan under your wing. That was decades ago, now, Max. How did it become the two of you climbing the ladder together?" Jennifer could already feel the closeness of Max and Jonathan but it couldn't have all been from a sport coat and a job selling newspapers._

" _Well, when he was in high school I was still in the service. I got in the line of fire, I guess you'd say, and I got shot up pretty bad."_

Jennifer took a quick sip of her coffee – which, she noted, tasted awful – and then slowly put her cup back on the table. She looked into Max's face. "You were in the war?"

" _Uh-huh," Max answered quietly. "After that I got sent home permanently. They fixed me up, real good, see. But there was no way I could go back. My sisters kept telling Jonathan how I was doing, but I was in a hospital on the other side of the country. So he couldn't come see me._

 _When I finally did get back to California he came to see me first thing. I'll never forget it. He came into my room…I was in a wheelchair…and he put his arms around me and told me not to worry about nothin' because he was gonna take care of me."_

 _Jennifer looked down at her plate. The tears pooled in her eyes but she wasn't sure if she should reveal that to Max or not. She was obviously only hearing part of their story. But what she was hearing was a story of friendship and love that carried far beyond anything she could imagine…other than that of her own parents._

 _She felt two hands on her shoulders and knew what voice to expect next._

" _Max took me in and taught me what family was about. When his sisters told me that he had been injured in the war I was scared that I would never see him again. I promised myself that if he came back to me, I'd never let him get hurt again. I prayed and prayed and prayed._

 _And God answered my prayers."_

 _Jennifer sniffled, giving away her emotions that both Max and Jonathan could already see. Their history wasn't something that the two men discussed. But it was something Jennifer needed to know. And in that short span of time her love for both of them dug even deeper into her heart and soul._

 _Max reached across the table and put his rugged hand on top of Jennifer's she looked at him and tried to laugh through her tears. Max smiled at her easily. "You see what you're getting yourself into?"_

 _She returned his smile._

" _When this guy tells you he's gonna do something, just believe him. And he ain't gonna do it half way. He's all in, for life."_

 _Jonathan massaged her shoulders as he listened to Max's words. Jennifer put her hands on top of his and looked up at him. "I'm all in, too," she held his gaze, speaking infinitely more with one look than her voice could say._

 _Max lifted his coffee cup and took a long drink of the dark liquid. He held it in his mouth for a moment and then swallowed with a bitter look on his face._

 _Neither Jennifer nor Jonathan noticed his expression as he sat the cup back on the table. But when he pushed it farther away Jennifer looked at his face._

" _Max, is something wrong?" She asked, slightly worried._

" _Oh, it's nothin' Mrs. H. Just…how's about you let me fix the coffee from here on out?"_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 11 - Two Harts**


	12. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 12

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 12**

 _Thursday rolled around much faster than Jonathan or Jennifer wanted it to. Minus a couple of trips to the ladies and men's rooms of various British locations, the two spent every moment together._

 _Each was enjoying the period of getting-to-know one another in many different ways. They shared moments of whispered 'I love you's' along with bursts of laughter, teasing one another and intimate moments that left them wanting a lifetime of more._

 _Jennifer learned that Jonathan's millionaire status had started with some ideas about transistors, an investment from Max and a few military friends. And, when his ideas were brought to fruition, with trial and error over nearly a decade, one business quickly turned into two and over a second decade the conglomerate known as Hart Industries was born._

 _That was part of the interview that Jennifer conducted in the bedroom, both of them partially clothed, and written on the hotel stationery._

 _Jonathan had laughed when she awoke for the second time that morning and insisted that the interview had to happen at that very moment. She didn't want to think about work - she wanted more of what put them both to sleep the night before – and became determined that the undeniably, magnificent sexual pleasures would be her incentive to knock out the interview quickly._

 _She scribbled, in her own version of shorthand, all of the answers he gave her. And Jonathan didn't balk at any of her questions._

" _You've thought about this interview," he commented as he reached over to move some hair away from her cheek._

 _Jennifer stopped his hand before it could make contact with her skin. "Aa-ah," she scolded. "Just a couple more questions."_

" _I was just going to…" Jonathan attempted but she stopped him again._

" _Jonathan," she looked at him seriously. "We both know, if you move that one little piece of hair then you're going to brush your fingers over my cheek and I will completely lose my train of thought and concentration. Don't derail me yet, please? I'm on a roll."_

 _Jonathan laughed and retracted his hand. "What else do you need to know?"_

 _Jennifer looked back over her notes, let out a puff of air that blew the hair off her forehead and then looked back at him with a deep breath._

" _Why Kingsford Motors?" She asked simply. All of her questions had revolved around work which was perfectly fine with Jonathan. He knew this was the interview she had planned to get, somehow, before they had ever met face to face._

" _Kingsford?" He crossed his arms over his bare chest. "I have business acquaintances who are involved in the auto industry here in England. When things started going downhill for the company a couple of them called me. There had been some maintenance issues for the company and their ratings were freefalling. Their products are still good but some adjustments were needed – along with financial help. They thought being affiliated with Hart Industries would help their reputation."_

" _So you bailed them out," Jennifer interjected._

" _Yes, in a way. I kept them from closing. And I hope their business will pick back up. When I 'help' a company I don't run people out or send in all of 'my' people to take things over. I try to help their people get a better handle on the business sense of things. But, if they can't pull themselves back up, then I am prepared to make adjustments if I need to."_

"So you have a personal hand in all of the companies that you've acquired?"

 _Jonathan pursed his lips and nodded. "Yes. I can't say I know everything about all of them, but I do try to stay on top of things."_

" _That's a lot to think about. No wonder you haven't had much time for a personal life…" she commented and then realized that her personal thoughts had bled into that statement._

" _Sorry!" she quickly apologized and watched his face for any reaction._

 _Jonathan noticed the blush on her cheeks. "It's ok. You're right. But are we off the record here?"_

 _Jennifer looked at the last few lines she had written and then nodded her head deciding that the 'formal' interview was likely finished._

 _He scooted closer to her and rolled over, balancing on his elbow and forearm as he looked into her face. "I didn't come to London looking for a 'personal life'. But apparently this is where I was meant to find one. I love what I do. Some people don't understand it, but watching a business come back to life, and thrive… and knowing that I've had a hand in that… Maybe I've negotiated some deal that's helped a hundred people keep their jobs… That's exciting to me. I guess it's like watching a child grow up, almost."_

 _Jennifer smiled. She saw a different kind of sparkle in his blue eyes at that moment. He was a shrewd business man; that was obvious. But he was also caring and fair._

" _But at this very moment, if you told me I had to choose work or you…"_

"I wouldn't," she shook her head quickly.

" _Does it worry you?" He reached up with his free hand and gently ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "Now that you're really thinking about it… There are times that I'm out of the country for a couple of weeks at a time. Other times I'm working at home, or I may have to be across the country on short notice. Will that bother you?"_

 _He watched her thinking and wondered if his company dedication would be a problem for her._

" _Would I be able to go with you?" Jennifer wondered without looking at him. "Or would you prefer I stay at home when you travel?"_

 _Jonathan looked at the paper and pen in her hand. He reached down and took the items out of her hands and reached across her to lay them on the bedside stand. He took both her hands in his and moved until she looked him in the face._

" _99.9 percent of the time I want you with me – if you're not working or traveling. Jennifer, Darling, I don't want to hold you back. I don't want you to be the wife at home. Your writing obviously means as much to you as business does to me. So I'm assuming you'll be traveling too. And, I want to go with you. I want a partnership. I want give and take. But I want to share everything with you. I want you to go with me and I want to go with you. I want to know what you're writing about and I want to tell you about my next merger. I want to know your editor or your publisher and I want you in my office so often that my secretary thinks it's OUR office."_

 _He stopped for a breath and watched her smile widely. She took her hands from his and wrapped them around his neck, bending down to share a kiss._

 _She kept her forehead against his as she continued to grin. "Do I get to choose the wallpaper and office furniture?"_

 _He chuckled, practically against her lips, "If you wish…"_

 _She kissed him again. "Have I told you that I love you?" She closed her eyes as their noses moved back and forth against each other._

" _A couple of times," he responded. "But I can always use a few more non-verbal cues…"_

 _Jennifer was already learning to respond to his hints, eagerly. So as she pressed her lips back to his she slid one naked leg over his waist and pulled her body closer to his._

" _How's that?" She asked after kissing him deeply and bringing her hands to his cheeks to hold him against her._

" _Pretty good…" He murmured._

 _His fingers began to trail underneath her top and upwards to reclaim her supple skin and freckled tips that were hardened at his first touch. "How's that?" He reiterated her question._

" _Mmmm," she groaned from low in her throat._

 _He smiled and turned his back to the bed, letting her straddle him with eyes closed, her face giving away the pure pleasure she was already enjoying just from the touch of his hands and the feel of their most intimate areas separated only by thin layers of material._

" _Jonathan," his name came from her lips in a whisper._

" _Uh-uh…" he corrected her, "Non-verbal, Sweetheart…" he teased._

 _She opened her eyes just enough to see the aroused smile on his face._

 _As she began to move her hips over his hardness she bit her lip to keep from saying the erotic words that formed in her mind._

 _Jonathan enjoyed the feeling, groaning and pressing himself against her; wanting to be inside his love._

 _"Jennifer," he tried through gritted teeth._

 _She stopped, opened her eyes and looked down at him. When his blue eyes fluttered open, his hands gripped her waist and hers anchored on his chest._

" _You can talk but I can't?" she wondered with a quirk of her lips._

 _Jonathan glared at her. "Is this your form of negotiating?"_

" _If it leads to a merger with you…then yes," she grinned._

 _Max had treated them to breakfast in bed that morning. Which lead to the interview and then them staying in bed until after noon. Jonathan peeked over her bare shoulder at the clock. He couldn't remember a time, other than illness, when he hadn't wanted to be out of the bed by 10AM. This woman had him convinced that staying in bed, with her, for 72 hours straight was suddenly acceptable behavior._

 _Those teenage feelings she had mentioned earlier in the week were apparently contagious._

 _Jonathan felt her breathing on his chest and squeezed his arms a little more firmly around her._

" _Jennifer?" he spoke her name softly._

" _Hmmm?" she responded sleepily. Her fingers moved across his chest, back and forth slowly as she began to rouse again._

" _We…I…forgot something," he felt her tense slightly and then she relaxed before she answered._

" _The…extra layer of protection?" she wondered without moving her head. Her fingers continued tracing a pattern on his chest._

" _Mm-hmmm," he admitted. He breathed in and out gently, waiting for more of a reaction from her. He hadn't intentionally forgotten to grab a condom but she also hadn't mentioned it when they'd reached that point in the latest round of love-making._

" _I guess this leads to another discussion that we need to have," Jennifer spoke against his chest as he ran fingers through her hair._

" _About having children?" Jonathan continued._

" _Yes…" Jennifer started, "and…no…" her voice grew quieter._

" _Do you want a baby?" Jonathan asked sincerely._

 _Jennifer hesitated. She had never reached this point in any previous relationship. She had never loved a man enough to even consider having children with him…until now. She had played a rhetorical conversation through her mind several times when girlfriends had married and she had attended baby showers for them. But until this very moment she had truly blocked the idea of having a child from her mind._

" _I… I… can't." Jennifer let the words slip quietly from her mouth and then stayed still, wondering if Jonathan had heard her._

" _Jonathan?"_

 _He continued running his fingers through her hair and then asked as gently as possible, "What do you mean… you can't?"_

 _Jennifer pulled her hand back toward her face and placed the tip of her thumb in her mouth, biting on her nail as her nerves caught up to her._

" _I can't have a baby," she tried to put some strength into her voice._

 _Jonathan stopped stroking her hair and moved his hand back to her shoulder, simply holding her. For a moment they stayed silent, just listening to each other breathe._

" _You don't want to have children?" Jonathan tried to understand without a full explanation._

 _Jennifer sucked in a deep breath and then pushed her body up, her hand on his chest. She looked at her hand, his chest, then his chin and lips before meeting his eyes._

 _Jonathan could see a hint of tears as she slowly shook her head._

" _Not 'I don't want to…'" she spoke slowly, "I can't," she repeated._

 _Jonathan reached a hand to her cheek and stroked it softly. "Can you tell me? Can you help me understand?" He creased his eyebrows only to show her that he wanted to know._

 _Jennifer ducked her head and then looked back into his face. She broke their embrace to sit up in the bed as she remembered the decades-old event._

" _When I was about 10 or 11, I had a horse riding accident. I was stadium jumping on a horse that I wasn't used to. We…the horse and I… fell over one of the jumps. All I remember was landing on a rail that broke and I thought I was dying. There was blood…"_

 _Jennifer looked down at the comforter and stared. "There was a lot of blood."_

 _Jonathan sat up as well and put a hand on her back. His face was concerned; not just about the information she was sharing, but about her mental and physical health as she relived this horrifying memory._

" _Jennifer – I'm sorry," his one hand splayed across her back as he moved toward her and took her other hand in his. "You don't have to say anything more."_

 _She shook her head and looked at him, the blank look giving way to one of sadness as she saw the love in his eyes._

" _No, I need to tell you this. I – this hasn't ever been…other relationships, I mean…" she breathed in and out a couple of times trying to get her thoughts together. "My uterus was damaged, somehow. Honestly, I never asked for details. I just remember being in the hospital and mother was in tears talking to the doctor. He recommended surgery that would make it practically impossible for me to conceive, because the scar tissue in my uterus would make it too dangerous for me to carry a baby."_

 _Jonathan watched her profile as she turned her face away from him and talked into space._

" _I was 11. I was a tomboy," she chuckled sadly, "I didn't understand what it meant to have 'tubes tied' until I was probably 18."_

 _He held her hand and squeezed it, but kept quiet as she took a few breaths and then continued. "My annual checkups with the gynecologist are absolutely wonderful," she sniffed to ward off her sad feelings and gave one sarcastic chuckle. "They say I can have surgeries to undo the knots in my fallopian tubes; and then I can have another surgery or two to basically rebuild my uterus, or at least get rid of the scar tissue. Then getting pregnant would be more probable, but still difficult, and dangerous."_

 _Jonathan took in a long breath. He hadn't realized that he had been holding his breath as he listened to her talk. Jennifer looked toward him, unsure of what to expect._

" _Do you…" she hesitated to ask, not wanting to hear his answer, "want children?"_

 _He breathed in again slowly. How should he answer her? A little piece of him loved the idea of having a baby, especially with her. A larger piece of him was scared of being a father, simply because he grew up without one. And still another part of him thought of adopting a child and giving a real life to a youngster facing the same trials that he had gone through._

" _Jonathan, don't lie to me about this, please." She squeezed his hand but then loosened her grip. She stared at their fingers, interlocked, and then raised her free hand to run her short, manicured nails over her forehead, wondering what was going through his mind._

" _I can't lie to you," he raised a finger under her chin and urged her to look at him. "The idea of sharing a baby with you is amazing. But there are a lot of other options out there besides endangering your life, or the child's. I won't do anything that hurts you or is dangerous for you."_

 _They sat looking at each other for just a moment. "If you want to have those surgeries and try to conceive then we will do that. But if that scares you as much as it does me at this very moment, then we take that option off the table. I want you, Jennifer Edwards. You and Max are all the family I need."_

 _Jennifer cried as he placed his arms around her and pulled her to him. "I convinced myself that I didn't want to have a baby. I've never talked to anyone about this, not even my mother. She and Pa just accepted that I wouldn't have children. I think they've halfway thought that I'd never get married. I'm 28 for goodness sake."_

 _She kept her chin on Jonathan's shoulder, allowing him to hold her._

" _You know that's not true. Maybe they have accepted that you won't have children. But I'm sure it's because they don't want your life endangered. If you were hurt that seriously, I'm sure it terrifies them to even think about you being in pain. You're their baby, and a precious one at that." Jonathan shared against her ear._

" _I… I don't know what to say, Jonathan." She laid her cheek on his shoulder. "I've not been with a man who even made me think about children. But with you… you would be a wonderful father."_

 _She placed a soft kiss against his neck. "I would consider the surgeries…if you want me to."_

 _Jonathan shook his head against hers. "It's not a decision we have to make at this very moment. The only thing you need to know right now is that I love you. Children, no children, we will have plenty of time to figure that out. Alright?"_

 _He brought the conversation to an end and just held her until both of their emotions settled._

 _Jennifer pulled back from him. "I love you, too."_

" _Just tell me one thing," Jennifer leaned her forehead against his._

" _What's that?" Jonathan waited._

" _Until we decide, you won't let this keep you from making love to me, will you?"_

 _Jonathan smiled sweetly and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "You may have to convince me…"_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 12 - Two Harts**


	13. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 13

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 13**

 _The eight and a half hour flight from London to Washington D.C. seemed shorter than Jennifer ever remembered. She had made the trip numerous times, but not on a private jet with a man who was excited to talk to her for part of the flight and make love to her for the rest of it._

 _Remembering the jet lag that Jonathan had suffered the first night she met him – and thinking about how it usually affected her as well – Jennifer was quite sure the two of them might sleep for a couple of days once they settled in at the Edwards estate._

 _She had called her mother and father on Friday night to let them know they would be arriving Saturday evening. Suzanne Edwards was more than thrilled to see her daughter, no matter the reason. Stephen Edwards, however, was more interested in meeting the man who was attempting to steal his baby girl's heart. Jennifer did her best to warn Jonathan that her 'Pa' only had her best interest at heart._

 _Jonathan accepted her words and fully agreed with Stephen's intent. He only hoped the two of them could find a common ground that allowed him to love Stephen's daughter and find a place in the Edwards family._

 _He admitted to Jennifer that he was slightly nervous to meet her parents. As the plane landed, Jonathan admitted to Max that he was more stubborn and in love than nervous and was fully willing to tell Stephen Edwards the same thing._

 _Jennifer dabbed at her makeup in the small bathroom mirror and then came back out to the airplane's bedroom where Jonathan was grabbing the trash and straightening up the very comfortable bed that they had shared._

" _What's the plan?" Jennifer asked him as she stepped towards him and held her hand out._

 _He gladly grasped her fingers and pulled her toward him for a short kiss._

" _Max has some gambling buddies that he's hooking up with. He's got a car taking him into the city. We've got a rental to drive to Maryland."_

 _Jennifer nodded and smiled sweetly at him. She moved a few stray hairs off his forehead and took a deep breath. "So, just the two of us?"_

" _Is that okay?" Jonathan raised his eyebrows, a little surprised that she wasn't more excited about parting ways with the third member of their family._

" _Oh, I just thought Max might be a little buffer between you and my father," Jennifer admitted._

 _Jonathan put down the small bag of trash he was holding and wrapped his arms around her waist. He looked down into her eyes and thought about what he wanted to say for just a moment._

" _Sweetheart," he started, making sure he was holding her attention and looking directly into her eyes. "There's nothing your father can say to me that will change my mind about my feelings for you. I love you. I want to marry you. I want his blessing. I can understand his trepidation about this. I understand that we seem like a couple of high school sweethearts who want to elope and be together, defying our parents. But at our ages, we can make our own decisions. You love your parents and I want to come to love them too. But ultimately, this is up to us. Stephen Edwards can't make me stop loving you. Can you say the same?"_

 _Jennifer listened to him intently. His words made sense. She thought about the past two weeks and the time she had been allowed to spend with Jonathan. Over and over and over again they had professed their love for each other. They had shared intimate times and personal moments that she knew she would never tell anyone else. She felt she had seen a side of Jonathan Hart that very few people had experienced. And she knew, as she pondered what Jonathan had said, that she wanted to experience more of him and have him in her life for the rest of her life._

" _I don't know why I'm nervous about this," she continued sharing his gaze, unsmiling and yet completely comfortable with one another. "My father can't change my feelings about you either. That's never made me nervous. He will ask me time and time again if I'm sure about this – and my answer is 'yes'…a thousand times 'yes'. I think I'm just nervous because I've never, seriously, brought a man home to meet him and Mother. I know they will accept this, in time, and will be happy for us. But the thought of looking them in the eyes and telling them point blank, that I'm in love…it makes me nervous."_

 _She placed her hands at the back of his neck and fidgeted with the hairs along his collar._

" _Does that make sense?" She shook her head slightly, hoping he might understand. "My father, and my mother… until now, they are the people that I've loved in my life. Sure, other family members, but they are my parents, who've loved me no matter what."_

" _And now," Jonathan took over, trying his best to read her thoughts, "you have similar feelings…for me?"_

 _Jennifer nodded. "I've opened my heart to you, Jonathan, and you've found a place inside my heart that no one else ever has. You will come to know more about me than my own parents know." She gave a breathy chuckle. "This is a lifetime commitment, you know?"_

 _Jonathan leaned down and kissed her lips. "I'm looking forward to every minute of it." His eyes scanned her face memorizing every bit of her before he kissed her again on the lips, cheek, and then nuzzled against her neck._

 _Jennifer smiled, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin and being in his arms. Lifetime commitment… It was time to introduce this man to another part of her life – her parents._

" _Stephen Douglas," Suzanne Edwards looked at her husband's scowling face and scolded him one last time. "They are going to be here in half an hour."_

" _And Mr. Hart can drop Jennifer off and be on his way," he mumbled._

" _That's enough!" Suzanne did her best not to raise her voice but she did gain his attention. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Stephen with a glare that she had mastered after nearly 40 years with the man._

" _What?" Stephen looked at her, shrugged his shoulders and put his hands in his pants pockets, knowing exactly why she was upset with him. "No man is good enough for my daughter," he pouted._

" _Please tell me that's not how you're going to approach this homecoming. I guarantee there's a marriage proposal on the horizon – if it hasn't already been asked and accepted." Her mother's intuition had come to that conclusion after their first conversation with their daughter about the man in her life. "Besides, I know you've spent the last three days researching this Jonathan Hart fellow. And, if you've learned anything like I have…"_

 _Stephen's mouth dropped open at his wife's insinuation and her truthfulness. She raised her eyebrows letting him know she wasn't finished._

" _Then you know he is quite the successful businessman. He's never been married, served his country during a war and is more charitable than many priests we've met."_

 _Mr. Edwards slouched slightly. "You left out the part about him growing up in an orphanage…" his voice trailed._

 _Suzanne tilted her head, "I must've missed that message on the notepad by the phone."_

" _That's because I just got THAT message this morning," Stephen admitted._

" _So, forgetting that no man is good enough for her… perhaps this one is?" Suzanne softened her gaze and loosened her stance as she watched Jennifer's father lift his fingers to his chin in thought._

" _I'm impressed with him – on paper," Stephen said. "But how does he treat her? That's what I need to know."_

" _Well," Suzanne stepped toward her husband and reached for his hand, "she's bringing him here to meet us."_

 _Stephen looked into her face and nodded with a semblance of a smile on his face. "Our little girl…" he started and then stopped. "I guess she's grown up now, isn't she?"_

 _Suzanne laughed at him softly. "Don't think about that. She'll always be your little princess. She's had boyfriends before, Stephen. And I think she grew up a few years ago, Dear, when the two of you butted heads about her becoming a journalist... And then again when she decided to travel in Europe… And when she decided to work in London for a while…"_

 _Stephen waved his hand in the air as she rattled off the list of ways their daughter had grown up and the conjoined list of times that Stephen and Jennifer had argued about her decisions._

" _Yes, yes, I get it," he furrowed his eyebrows but accepted his wife's loving kiss on his cheek._

" _And as much as you hate to admit it, her decisions have been on target so far," Suzanne added._

 _Stephen let out a waning breath. "Will you at least let me interrogate the boy before you and Jenny go wedding dress shopping? I am her father. I should at least get the chance to make him shake a little, shouldn't I?"_

 _Suzanne laughed at him. "Yes, Dear. I won't give away your soft side until you have a chance to talk to him. But Stephen?"_

" _Hmmm?" he pressed his lips together, beginning to think about his upcoming meeting with Mr. Jonathan Hart._

" _He's 38 years old. I doubt you'll impress him by calling him a boy." She took a moment to press a kiss to Stephen's lips._

" _Oh, I'm not out to impress him. I just want to ruffle his feathers a little."_

 _Both looked toward the front door as Walter, their butler, made his way into the room. "Miss Jennifer and Mr. Hart have arrived, Mr. and Mrs. Edwards," Walter announced._

 _Suzanne looked at her husband once more and encouraged him to smile in his gruff manner. Both took deep breaths and Stephen rolled his eyes about their upcoming encounter._

 _Suzanne smiled at him. "Okay, Papa Bear, you're on…"_

 _Stephen shook his head and put a hand on his wife's back as they both headed toward the front door of their home._

 _Jennifer held tightly to Jonathan's hand, just inside the door of her childhood home. He could feel her nervousness and wanted her to be relaxed again. Perhaps they should move to London and just recreate the magic of the past week over and over again._

 _Jonathan leaned his lips toward her ear, defiant to allow his own nerves to surface. "I love you," he spoke softly and noticed quickly how her breathing eased and her eyes closed with just those words. "By the way…" he continued whispering, "how comfortable is the mattress in your bedroom?"_

 _Her eyes and mouth flew open just as her parents came into the room. Jennifer jerked her head to look at him for one split second, recognizing the smirk on his lips. She twisted her head and threw him one dagger-filled glare before turning to the older couple._

" _Jenny, Darling!" Suzanne exclaimed and quickly moved away from her husband to embrace their only daughter. The two hugged tightly for a long moment, allowing Mrs. Edwards to get a good glance at the man who accompanied her child._

" _He's handsome!" she whispered into Jennifer's ear._

 _Jennifer felt herself blushing as the two women loosened their hold. "Mother, I've missed you!" She spoke genuinely, looking Suzanne straight in the eye._

 _Jonathan stood silently, hands clasped in front of him, watching his fiancée embrace a woman who could have been Jennifer's twin. He knew the father's eyes were watching him closely so he debated whether or not to make the first move toward Stephen._

 _Jonathan looked toward Jennifer's father and gave him a simple smile and nod before turning his focus back to the ladies._

 _Stephen accepted the small gesture with just a fatherly look. Once Jennifer and Suzanne's hug ended, he stepped toward the younger woman._

" _And what do you have for your old father?" He looked at Jennifer sternly until she let go of her mother and stepped toward him._

" _Pa," Jennifer drawled out her pet name for her father and quickly walked into his arms._

 _Again Jonathan watched, capturing the moment in his mind and heart. He noted that he hadn't really witnessed an adult parent/child relationship but determined right away that this was a wonderful one to see._

 _Stephen held his daughter longer than Jennifer expected. He took his own opportunity to whisper into her ear. "Are you sure about this?"_

 _Jennifer froze in his arms. She slowly leaned away from her father enough to look into his face. She looked him in the eye as well, bit gently on her bottom lip and smiled, giving him a simple yet confident nod._

 _The Edwards trio then turned their focus to the outsider in the room. Jennifer stepped toward Jonathan quickly and snaked her arms easily around his waist, allowing him to wrap one arm around her shoulders, tucking his other hand into his pocket._

" _Mom, Pa… this is Jonathan Hart. Jonathan, this is my mother, Suzanne…and my father, Stephen Edwards."_

 _Suzanne moved toward them first, making Jennifer relinquish her hold in order for her mother to properly greet their guest. "Jonathan, it's a pleasure to meet you," Suzanne smiled._

 _Jonathan took her hand in his and promptly kissed the back of it in true gentleman fashion. "Mrs. Edwards," he blushed slightly, realizing this was the family he was joining. He smiled, pushing back a slight round of nerves that found their way past his defenses. "It's very nice to meet you as well. Jennifer was anxious to get home to see you both."_

" _We all know that's a lie," Stephen quipped with a single raised eyebrow directed toward the young couple._

" _Stephen!" Suzanne smacked her husband's arm with some force to make him behave._

 _Jennifer blushed and looked at Jonathan who appeared to be on the verge of laughter following the older man's statement._

" _Mr. Edwards, Sir, it's an honor to meet you," Jonathan made the first step toward Jennifer's father and held out his hand to test the waters._

 _Stephen noticed the look on Jonathan's face and sized up the younger man before accepting his hand. "Mr. Hart," he gave Jonathan's hand a firm grip as the two shook hands._

" _Please, call me Jonathan," he responded, looking at both of Jennifer's parents._

" _Well-" Stephen started but was interrupted by his wife._

" _Jonathan, come on in, please. Let's sit down in the living room. Would you like something to drink? Walter has some wonderful lemonade or tea."_

" _Ever the proper hostess, Suzanne. The boy is 38, not 15. We have a fully stocked bar… Jonathan…" Stephen emphasized his name. "What's your pleasure?"_

 _Jonathan shifted his eyebrows at Jennifer as she gave him a wide-eyed gaze. Neither was sure what Stephen might be up to, but at the moment, Jonathan knew he was going to get along just fine with Mr. Edwards – unless, of course, he balked at the marriage proposal._

 _Jonathan placed a gentle hand on the small of Jennifer's back and followed her and her parents into a large living room filled with beautiful artwork, designer furniture and an oak wood bar._

 _Stephen stepped behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel's Whiskey. He held it up and looked directly at his son-in-law-to-be. "Jonathan?"_

 _Jonathan looked at Jennifer as if asking permission._

 _She shrugged her shoulders and sat down next to her mother on the cream colored leather couch in the center of the room. "As long as it's not champagne," she commented._

 _Jonathan tilted his head at first, wondering what thought she was aiming to get across to him._

" _Champagne puts him to sleep after a long flight," She looked directly at Jonathan's face and smiled, making him grin as well._

 _Stephen and Suzanne also exchanged glances. Suzanne was humored by this information that their daughter had learned after just a week or so with this man. Stephen was slightly perturbed._

" _Maybe just one," Jonathan saw the slight scowl on Stephen's weathered face but didn't let that deter him. "I haven't had whiskey in a while. Somehow it just doesn't taste the same in England."_

 _Walter wandered into the room with iced tea and lemonade for the women. Jennifer smiled at him and received a wider grin from her nearly life-long friend. "Walter, you haven't changed your lemonade recipe, have you? You know it's my favorite!"_

 _Walter shook his head. "I made this especially for you Miss Jennifer. You know I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's nice having you back home."_

 _Jonathan thanked Stephen for his drink and took a quick sip before finding his place on the couch beside Jennifer. Stephen made his way to a reclining chair beside the couch. He sat his glass down on a table and made himself comfortable, watching the two youngsters sitting next to his wife._

 _Jennifer offered a sip of lemonade to Jonathan who gladly tasted her non-potent drink. He nodded favorably and looked at Walter. "That's delicious." He took another sup from Jennifer's glass and then handed it back to her._

 _Suzanne and Stephen both tucked away the fact that Jonathan didn't hesitate to drink after Jennifer and she didn't hesitate to let him. Years of their own loving experiences made each of them aware of this signal…a closeness that Jonathan and Jennifer were already sharing._

" _So," Stephen started again. "Shall we address the elephant in the room?"_

 _Suzanne, Jennifer and Jonathan all turned their attention to Mr. Edwards._

" _Are their tusks we need to be concerned about, Dear?" Suzanne gave her husband a stern look."_

 _Stephen rolled his eyes and directed his attention to Jonathan. "My daughter claims to be in love with you, Jonathan. What are your feelings about her?"_

" _Daddy," Jennifer's childhood flashed before her eyes momentarily._

 _Stephen shifted his focus toward her, as did Jonathan._

" _I claim to be in love with Jonathan because I AM in love with him." She looked at Jonathan and proceeded to kiss his lips as she took his hand in hers._

 _Jonathan grinned at her following the kiss and then turned his smile toward Suzanne before trying to temper it when he looked back at Stephen. "My feelings for her? I love Jennifer too," he stated plainly._

 _Jonathan looked at their linked hands and then back into Jennifer's face. "I've never felt this way about anyone else. She took my heart the first time I saw her."_

 _Suzanne patted Jennifer's knee, breaking the moment with a soft, "Oh Sweetheart…"_

" _Well, enough of the wedding vows, already," the gruff voice spoke nearby._

 _The other three let his words roll off their shoulders and remained in a little cocoon. Stephen watched them, but didn't want to admit that he could see a little of himself and Suzanne bubbling in the love that he could already feel emanating from Jonathan and Jennifer._

 _He smiled to himself. He needed to see more of this man with his daughter to make sure his first in-person impression was correct. But if Stephen's impression was on target, Jennifer's latest decision appeared to be in the heart of the bullseye._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 13 - Two Harts**


	14. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 14

**Two Harts - Missing Parts  
Chapter 14**

 _A late dinner consisted of chicken salad sandwiches and a chilled bottle of wine at a small table in the Edwards kitchen. Suzanne gave Jonathan the 10 cent tour of their home including the impressive dining room where they often entertained guests. But when the matron offered to feed her children, Jennifer insisted on eating at the family table, the more intimate setting where the four of them sat down together._

" _I didn't realize how hungry I was," Jennifer admitted as she finished the croissant and emptied her glass of wine._

 _Jonathan took a little longer with his food. After nearly an hour he was feeling more comfortable with Suzanne and Stephen - as he had been told to call them - but his comfort level was causing his body to betray him. The dreaded jetlag was already beginning._

" _Darling?" Jennifer looked at Jonathan and caught the yawn that he was trying to hide._

" _I'm sorry," Jonathan shook his head and smiled at her. He turned toward Jennifer's parents and shook his head. "Long flight equals jetlag for me, I'm afraid," he explained._

 _Stephen chuckled. "Looks like there's one thing the two of you don't have in common," he grinned at Jennifer._

" _Pa," she whined slightly._

" _What's that?" Jonathan wondered curiously._

" _Jennifer's jetlag doesn't set in for about two days, if I recall correctly." Stephen thought about the numerous international trips their family had taken. He and Suzanne often flipped a coin to figure out who would stay up with an overly excited, extremely over stimulated Jennifer, who normally slept on the long flights and had energy to spare when they arrived at their destination._

 _Jennifer looked at Jonathan and offered an apologetic smile. "Did I forget to mention that?" She shrugged her shoulders and threw her father a disappointed look._

" _And here we've discussed this topic several times…" Jonathan raised his eyebrows making Jennifer remember the first night they almost spent together. The right side of his lips lifted in a smirk as her eyes widened once again, a look that didn't bypass Mr. Edwards._

" _I had Walter take your bags upstairs," Stephen commented to interrupt their silent communication. "How long are you planning to stay?"_

 _Jennifer looked at Jonathan again knowing this visit wouldn't be nearly as long as she would like._

" _I think we're just here a couple of days, Pa," she said with slight disappointment in her voice._

" _Actually, Darling," Jonathan began, "don't cut this trip short on my account. I can make a couple of day trips to my office in New York and a few phone calls to Harry to make sure everything's on track."_

" _Oh, it's not that," Jennifer shook her head. "I've got to finish writing YOUR interview and get it to my editor. You know, Andi bought me a few extra days in London thanks to my missed flight and your pro- …" she stopped short of the full word, eyes growing wide once more as she remembered that her parents weren't privy to all that had happened in England. "Your... willingness to chat with me on Thursday…" she stuttered slightly. "But I do have to get back to work eventually."_

 _Suzanne watched them closely, picking up on Jennifer's stumble. She looked down at the table and smiled to herself. As she suspected there was more to this visit than just meeting their daughter's new boyfriend._

" _Well if you've got to get back to work and Jonathan is tired, then we'd better let you both get some rest." Stephen looked at his cup of tea. "Jennifer, your room is all ready for you. Jonathan, you'll be in one of the guest rooms. Walter's making it up now," Jennifer's father smirked._

 _Jonathan nodded his agreement. He wasn't going against Mr. Edwards and was happy that the old fellow wasn't making him sleep on the couch or in the dog house at that point._

" _But - " Jennifer started to protest until Stephen gave her a dismayed glance._

" _You had other sleeping arrangements in mind, young lady?" her father wondered._

 _Suzanne had been quiet through the entire conversation, letting her husband truly play his Papa Bear role._

" _Jennifer," Suzanne looked at her with a motherly smile._

 _Jonathan watched his 28 year old fiancée become a teen as she looked between her mother and father and had to give in to their house rules. He grinned at her as she pouted. He hadn't thought about the sleeping arrangements at this particular location. At least they'd still be in the same house even if they weren't sharing a bed._

 _The foursome walked upstairs together. They dropped Jonathan off in one room with a single suitcase. Jennifer left him with a soft kiss on his lips and wished him a good night's rest._

 _Stephen gave his daughter a kiss on her forehead, outside of her old bedroom and then put his hands on her shoulders. "You really do love this man?"_

 _Jennifer smiled at him. "I do, Pa. I know it sounds crazy, but I do. I hope you'll trust me on this. Jonathan… Jonathan…" she looked toward her mother._

 _"What, Sweetheart?" Suzanne wondered._

" _What he said earlier, about me stealing his heart?" She looked back and forth between her parents. "It made me think of you." She smiled a girlish, loving smile before continuing. "How many times have you told me that Daddy stole your heart when you were dating? You knew he was the one from the first time you met, right?"_

 _Suzanne opened the door to Jennifer's room and the three of them walked in together. Stephen's eyes widened and he looked lovingly at his wife. "You told her that?"_

 _Suzanne nodded. "Of course I did. A girl should know that her parents love each other. And she needs to know that it's okay to listen to her heart as long as she has a good head on her shoulders."_

 _The two women sat down on the bed and allowed Stephen to gaze at them. "I've loved your mother since the minute I laid eyes on her. Although the first time we met you weren't exactly enamored by me, now were you, Suzy?"_

 _Jennifer grinned. Her father only referred to her mother as 'Suzy' in his most loving and intimate moments. To the entire world she was Suzanne Edwards. But she was his 'Suzy'; his and his alone._

" _Oh?" Jennifer questioned._

" _Oh, she took a bit of convincing but once I proposed to her I knew she was mine," Stephen explained._

 _Jennifer tilted her head slightly and looked at her mother. "Hey," Suzanne recognized the face of her curious daughter. "How long did you guys date before Daddy proposed?"_

 _Stephen and Suzanne glanced back and forth between each other. Did their daughter want to know about the initial proposal, when Stephen wanted to make sure she didn't walk out of his life? Or the one when he got down on one knee after asking Suzanne's father for permission to marry her…_

 _Stephen stepped toward the bed, leaned down and gave his wife a lingering kiss on her cheek before turning back to the door and placing a hand on the doorknob. Suzanne knew he was either buying time to think of an answer to Jennifer's question; or he was attempting to avoid it completely._

" _Well, let's see now," he turned his chin upwards in thought for a second. "If I recall correctly," he looked back at his beautiful women on the bed, "it was about two weeks, right?"_

 _Suzanne was a bit surprised that he answered. She smiled at her husband and then looked at their daughter. She saw Jennifer's eyes blinking in thought; the younger woman wasn't as flabbergasted by the information as her parents expected._

' _Another hint...another way she's following in our footsteps, I suspect.' Jennifer's mother thought to herself._

 _Stephen took notice of the lack of surprise from Jennifer. He turned the doorknob to leave and then sent a loving glance at his wife. "Don't be up too late, Suzy. You know you'll want to be up to have breakfast with the happy couple," he tossed in a touch of sarcasm for good measure._

" _And Jennifer," he looked at her pointedly, "If Mr. Hart comes sleepwalking into your room, I suggest you send him back to his bed."_

" _Dad," Jennifer blushed at his words while still replaying her parents' proposal scenario through her mind. "I've spent the past week with him, don't you think we -" She came to her full senses before finishing her sentence and then quickly looked at her mother._

" _Goodnight Jennifer," Stephen chose to ignore her last partial statement. He turned his back and rolled his eyes but added, "It's nice to have you here...and Jonathan."_

 _Jennifer was grateful he let the conversation end there and that she was left with her mother._

 _But in Stephen's absence, Suzanne's mothering love took over. She took Jennifer's hand in hers and looked at her daughter seriously._

" _Alright, My Love," She waited until Jennifer looked her in the eyes, "When did he propose? Did you say 'Yes'? And please, just tell me again that you didn't elope."_

 _Jennifer looked at her hands. She rubbed her thumbs together and pursed her lips tightly. "It was amazing, Mother," she remembered the moment. "I said 'Yes'."_

 _She looked at her mother with a closed lip smile and tears forming in her eyes as she admitted the truth to the woman who had shared her entire life._

" _Am I crazy?" Jennifer wondered quietly._

 _Suzanne smiled at her before wrapping her arms around her daughter's body and pulling her in for a tight hug. The older woman hummed a contented tone. She placed a hand on the back of Jennifer's head and rocked her back and forth as though she was holding a small child again._

 _Jennifer pulled herself gently from her mother's embrace. Both women wiped the happy tears that had leaked from their eyes and sat smiling at each other waiting for someone to speak. Suzanne laughed and grinned widely._

" _You said 'yes'," she raised her eyebrows and watched as Jennifer nodded happily. "How… Jenny, how on earth?" Suzanne's eyebrows then dipped down wanting more information._

" _Mother, the last two weeks have been indescribable. If I tell you the first part of it you'll want to kill Jonathan...and me. If I tell you the last part of it, Pa will want to kill Jonathan."_

" _And what about the part in between? Would either of you survive if you shared that part with me?" Suzanne laughed as Jennifer rolled thoughts around in her head and her cheeks reddened in slight embarrassment._

" _Well, in the middle, I suppose I wanted to kill Jonathan. But that was mainly while I was being interrogated at the police station and praying that they weren't going to arrest me." She pressed her lips together._

 _Suzanne watched her daughter's expressive eyes and shook her head. "I think you're right. Perhaps you don't need to share everything that's happened to you...at least not with me."_

 _Jennifer looked at her mother. "It'll make a wonderful book - if we both survive long enough for me to write it!" She joked._

 _The two sat for another minute, Suzanne wondering what Jennifer WOULD share with her and Jennifer wondering what she SHOULD share._

" _Mother," she licked her lips and looked into her mother's face. "Jonathan saved my life, more than once. And, I mean that seriously. There was gunfire, there was a high speed chase… I was kidnapped at gunpoint. He was supposed to be the victim. But through the whole ordeal he protected me."_

 _Suzanne nodded thoughtfully, the smile growing smaller as she listened. Jennifer had been correct. Mrs. Edwards could have done without the image of her only daughter being held by a gun-wielding criminal._

 _Jennifer took her mother's hands, imagining what might be going through Suzanne's mind. "And then, we reached a point that we were apart. I was heading to the airport to try and get back to some sense of normalcy… and all I could think about was Jonathan Hart. Before I could get on the plane there was a whole other round of chaos. Long-story-short - I guess you could say this is the middle part - I was torn… I didn't know if I hated him enough to kill him or if I simply never wanted to see him again. But, he was still all I could think about."_

 _She stopped for a moment and nibbled on her bottom lip. Jennifer looked at her hands linked with her mother's and again thought about the moment when Jonathan urged her out of the taxi and asked her to 'turn around' and look at the Tower Bridge._

" _I thought I was heading back to the airport," she skipped over the stressful police station situation, "but the driver took me to a spot along the river, with a lovely view of Tower Bridge. Jonathan was waiting there. And when I looked up at the bridge there were these huge banners that spelled out 'Will You Marry Me?'"_

 _She looked into her mother's face. Suzanne was listening. She wasn't completely understanding the abridged version of Jennifer's story, but she could read the excitement and nervousness mixed in with the love in her daughter's voice._

" _I said, 'yes'." Jennifer completed._

 _Suzanne stared at her daughter. She squeezed Jennifer's hands as she took in the woman that she had become. The proposal didn't surprise her. What man wouldn't fall in love with Jennifer if he took time to get to know her. The 28-year-old had a good head on her shoulders, and, for the first time in her life, her heart was speaking to her. Suzanne could see that in her eyes._

 _She unlatched their hands and place hers on Jennifer's cheeks. "You're happy?"_

 _Jennifer smiled and nodded silently in her mother's gentle grasp._

" _He...treats you well?" Suzanne inquired delicately._

 _She felt the heat in Jennifer's cheeks and knew her daughter was thinking more deeply on that subject._

" _Yes," she looked directly into her mother's matching hazel eyes letting Suzanne witness the spark that Jonathan had also discovered in the beautiful irises._

" _Jenny," Suzanne tried to ask her most important question without verbalizing it._

" _I love him, Mother. I - I've never had these feelings before. My heart beats faster when he's around. I hold his hand and feel this amazing warmth surrounding me. He holds me and I don't want him to let go. And when he kisses me…" she drew in a long breath and her eyelids shut, giving her mother a simple hint of the other feelings that Jonathan Hart stirred inside of her._

 _Suzanne ran her thumbs over Jennifer's cheeks and then brought her hands back to her lap. She let her eyes wander over her daughter's face looking for any sign of ill-content, mistrust or unhappiness. She couldn't find a single one._

 _Jennifer breathed in and out, opened her eyes and watched her mother watching her. "Does Daddy suspect anything?"_

 _Suzanne chuckled at the tension that Jennifer displayed with the thought of Stephen's feelings. "If he does, he won't admit it," Suzanne quipped. "He wants to run off any suitor that tries to take his little princess away." She rolled her eyes and then smiled._

" _But -" Jennifer's eyes showed her worry._

 _Suzanne put a hand in the air and shook her head. "He knows, Sweetheart. I can see it in his eyes. He knows that Jonathan is more than just a date for you or a boyfriend. Your father just wants to be sure that you marry a man who will cherish you as much as he does...as much as we do. He wants your happiness. But most of all he wants you to be loved. Stephen Edwards believes that the man who marries his daughter will put you on a pedestal and protect you at any cost. Because that's what he has done for you since the moment you were born. He loves you, My Darling, more than his own life."_

 _Jennifer's tears came directly from her heart. She sniffled and swallowed her emotions as her mother smiled at her._

 _The soft knock at the door startled them slightly. "Come - Come in?"_

 _Jennifer quickly wiped the tears from under her eyes, hoping it might be Walter coming through the doorway. Instead she saw the dark-haired love of her life that they were just discussing._

" _I - um - I'm sorry to interrupt," Jonathan looked slightly worried at the sight of Jennifer's tears. He stood still for a moment, unsure if he should come farther into the room or close the door and leave them alone._

 _Suzanne ran a hand over Jennifer's hair and down the side of her face before looking at Jonathan. When she caught his eye he looked at Jennifer's mother quite seriously._

" _I wasn't eavesdropping, I promise. I was just in the hallway and heard voices. I wanted to come in to say 'Goodnight' again," he smiled innocently, "and then I heard the end of what you were saying, Suzanne."_

 _Jennifer watched as he kept his eyes on her mother. "I do love your daughter. I have already placed her on that pedestal and I will do everything in my power to protect her and love her for the rest of my life."_

 _Jennifer's head tilted back as she felt the tears coming on again. Suzanne glanced at her daughter and then looked back at the dark haired man at the door. She imagined a teenage Jonathan going on his first date with a younger Jennifer. The looks currently on their two faces would have been the same years ago. Her mother's intuition was kicking in again, telling her to believe the stranger who had proposed to their daughter. And to trust him with her life._

 _Suzanne stood from the bed and walked toward the door. She placed a single hand on Jonathan's cheek and pulled his head toward hers to place a loving kiss on his other cheekbone._

 _She looked him directly in the eye with a gentle smile on her lips. "I believe you Johnny. But you still have to convince her father."_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 14 - Two Harts**


	15. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 15

**Two Harts - Missing Parts  
Chapter 15**

Jonathan gently closed the door behind Suzanne after she left. He looked at Jennifer still sitting on the bed and tilted his head thoughtfully. "You told her we're engaged?" He questioned softly.

Jennifer raised her eyebrows and let her head bounce back in forth, not giving away a real answer. "She knew." Jennifer chuckled.

She wiped the wetness from under her eyes, sniffled and then patted the bed beside her for him to come in and sit down.

Jonathan raised his own eyebrows at her. "Is that safe?" He wondered.

Jennifer smiled and crooked her finger at him, willing him to at least come closer to her.

Jonathan grinned and walked to the bed finding a space to stand between her legs as she wrapped her arms around his waist and placed a soft kiss against his belly for the simple fact that it was at lip level.

"I think I've given away a bit more than I wanted to...when it comes to our London adventure," she admitted.

"Should I gather my belongings and get out of Dodge before dawn?" He asked with slight worry.

Jennifer laughed. "If you do, I need to go with you!" she joked. "No, actually, my father just told me that he proposed to my mother about two weeks after they started dating. So, he really can't say much about us having a quick engagement. And it's not like they're going to think I'm pregnant. All things considered, I think he's actually warming up to you."

"You don't say," Jonathan's sarcasm wasn't hidden. He ran his fingers through her hair and rubbed her cheek with his fingertips.

"Jonathan," Jennifer attempted to scold his attitude.

She let him out of her embrace and patted the bed again. Jonathan reluctantly sat down beside her. They sat quietly for a minute before he looked her in the eyes and just stared.

"You're so beautiful."

She blushed and rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious," he continued. "And I meant exactly what I said to your mom. I want to love you and protect you and keep you up on a pedestal for the rest of OUR lives. I want to get up tomorrow morning and ask your father for his permission to marry you. And then I want to take you to the nearest church or city hall and find the first person who can perform the ceremony and call you my wife."

He still stared into her eyes as he spoke quietly but succinctly.

Both of them knew his plan wouldn't play out the way he was reciting it - although it sounded like a grand idea to each of them.

Jennifer turned toward him, bit on her bottom lip, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You just want to rush off to our honeymoon." She looked at his lips as she smiled, trying to ignore his direct gaze.

"We can have our honeymoon right here, tonight, if you want to. Actually," he placed his forehead against hers, trying to regain eye to eye contact, "we started our honeymoon last week. And I plan to continue it, every chance we get, for years and years and years."

Jennifer chanced looking into his eyes. Her heart fluttered. Her body heated. She felt the blood coursing through her veins at his very presence. "Jonathan," she swallowed nervously and focused on his lips that were millimeters from her own.

"Hmmm?" He was waiting for her true reaction.

"Not here," she breathed out a somewhat ragged breath.

Jonathan didn't move. Instead he waited for the further instructions that he knew would follow - if she could get her thoughts in order.

"Dad gave specific instructions that you are not to sleep in here with me," she informed him.

"I'm not surprised. He put us in separate rooms for a reason." Jonathan nudged his nose against hers.

"But he didn't say anything about me… sleeping with you… in your room." She bit her lip a little harder, let her eyes meet his and enjoyed his drooped eyelids and deep breath as he began to understand her intentions.

"You really are aiming to get me kicked out before I have a chance to talk to your father, aren't you?" He breathed in deeply, trying to regain his composure.

"No," Jennifer replied like a child. "I've just grown accustomed to having...someone else…in bed with me over the past week. It helps me sleep."

"I'm sure your mom would bunk with you. Shall I have her come back?" Jonathan joked.

Jennifer huffed. "You know what I mean," she whispered and dared to once again look him directly in the eyes.

"I do," he stated. "And I want that as well, but…"

Jennifer put a finger over his lips. She quickly replaced that finger with her own lips and kissed him firmly.

"Darling," Jonathan breathed heavily, eyes still closed, faces still practically pressed together.

"Why were you out in the hallway?" Jennifer wondered, knowing both of them needed a slight distraction.

"I…" Jonathan opened his eyes, pulled his head away from hers and pushed a breath through his lips. "It appears our suitcases may have gotten switched. Either that or our clothes are all mixed up between the two."

Jennifer tilted her head to look at him. "What?"

Jonathan scooted back to put just a little more space between them. "My pajamas aren't in the suitcase that Walter left in my room."

Jennifer nodded, now understanding. Then her eyes widened with another thought that Jonathan was prepared to address immediately.

"There is, however, something red and rather lacy… I don't think it'll fit me. But I'm thinking it would look amazing on you." His eyebrows cocked up and down several times as an impish grin grew across his face.

Jennifer tried adamantly not to blush at his discovery and searched her mind for any excuse she could attempt.

"Max got that for me on his shopping trip," she truthfully informed him.

"Max...picked that out...for you?" Jonathan's eyes grew wide. "Max and I need to have a little chat!"

Jennifer grinned and licked her tongue across her bottom lip. "I actually think his friend Mildred slipped that into the mix without him knowing. Which, by the way, is fine with me." Her eyes spoke loudly with that thought. "I was hoping to surprise you with it."

She ran a finger across his thigh. Both of them watched the pattern-less design that she made as her fingers worked their way closer and closer to a danger zone.

"Oh," Jonathan placed a hand over hers before she moved too far, "it surprised me alright." He raised a finger to her chin wanting her to see him face to face. "Can I talk you into wearing it for me...tonight?"

His eyes dipped to the 'v' of her blouse as he stretched his chin and put his hand back on his thigh near his crotch. Jennifer watched as his thumb and index finger quickly adjusted the growing pressure between his legs.

She was ecstatic that he wanted to see her in the negligee. And it was all she could do not to take him by the hand and run back to the guest room to help him relieve that pressure.

Jennifer placed a hand on his jaw and pulled his face toward hers, kissing him lightly at first and then instigating a much deeper kiss than she really intended in her childhood bedroom.

"I…" she licked her lips and rested her forehead against his. "I don't think that would be a good idea...tonight." She swallowed to re-moisten her mouth and then opened her eyes. "But I'm not sleeping in this bed, alone, tonight. I can tell you that."

Jonathan grinned. "So how are we handling this Miss Edwards?"

Jennifer stood from the bed and grabbed the other suitcase. She unbuckled the latches and opened it, digging to find his sleep cloths. "Here, take these, go back to your room and get changed."

Jonathan took the baby blue items from her and smiled even wider. "Yes Ma'am," he agreed.

"Don't call me that," Jennifer rolled her eyes. "It makes me think of my mother. Do you want to kill this mood before it has a true chance to get started?"

"Put on the red lace and I'll call you whatever you want and make you forget about your mother!"

"JONATHAN!" Jennifer raised her voice louder than she wanted then snapped a hand over her mouth as she picked up a pillow and threw it at him.

Jonathan laughed but pressed his lips together, trying not to draw any other potential attention to Jennifer's room.

"I'm not wearing that tonight," she informed him plainly. "Maybe...later this week...at my apartment in New York…"

"I'm ready to go whenever you are," Jonathan jumped in anxiously.

"Jonathan," she whispered this time, "Go, change clothes. Find my nightgown and I'll be in in a few minutes, okay?"

Her eyes begged him to just go along with this simple plan. She had already thought about sneaking into his room. She wasn't quite ready to admit it to him or anyone else, but having him next to her, all night long was addicting. She wanted to fall asleep with his arms around her, lay her cheek against his bare chest, and let her hands wander wherever they wanted to on his body. "Just...go, please?"

Jonathan loved her face. He knew she had other thoughts going through her mind; thoughts that had nothing to do with Stephen or Suzanne Edwards, and everything to do with him. She was his, heart and soul, and he loved her.

He took his clothes and went to the door, opening it stealthily in case a parental unit had heard Jennifer's slight outburst. When he saw no one in the hallway he looked back at her over his shoulder.

"Jennifer?" He waited just a second until she looked at him. "Don't wait too long, okay? I may be jet lagged but I really don't think I can get to sleep without you beside me. I'm addicted to you." He smiled with boyish innocence as she returned his loving look.

"Did you hear something?" Stephen furrowed his eyebrows and put down his book, turning his head toward his daughter's room.

"Ignore it," Suzanne stepped out of the master bathroom, rubbing lotion over her hands and wrists. "Whatever you may think you heard, just ignore it, Dear." She smiled at Stephen before coming to his side of the bed, leaning over and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"Now why would you say that?" He looked at his wife as she rounded the bed and climbed into her side of the sheets. "My father's intuition tells me, perhaps, I should've put Jonathan out in the guest house instead of in the room down the hall from our daughter."

"Stephen…" Suzanne looked at him and dipped her eyebrows in slight disappointment. "Now do you really mean that? Jonathan has been a perfect gentleman since they arrived. YOUR daughter is the one who seems to have the eager appetite...shall we say."

"Suzanne!" Mr. Edwards addressed his wife's thought. "Those are the kinds of thoughts I wanted to avoid. You aren't helping my distaste for this man."

"You shouldn't have a distaste for him. He's in love with our Jennifer. And from the discussion I just shared with both of them, you should expect him to be around for the long run." Suzanne's voice softened. She reached her hand over to her husband and was very happy when he took it and looked at her.

"You talked to both of them? I thought Jonathan was going to sleep. Jetlagged...isn't that what he claimed?" Stephen squeezed her hand and watched her face.

"Let's see, the woman you love brings you home to meet her parents. The woman's father sizes you up and down and pretends to be an evil tyrant to scare you away." Her sarcasm didn't escape Stephen. Her historic charm also caught his attention. "Did YOU get right to sleep? Hmmm?"

Stephen thought for a moment. "I'm channeling your father." He nodded and squeezed her hand again. "He was a good man, Suzy. He loved you and wanted the best for you."

"And I found the best," her gaze softened and she raised his hand to her lips to kiss his knuckles. "Father realized that, thanks to Mother."

"You're here to teach me the same lesson?" Stephen accepted her kiss easily and thought back to the weekend in Paris, so very many years before when he, himself, had been introduced to Suzanne's parents.

"You and I didn't sleep in separate rooms that weekend," Stephen recalled.

Suzanne blushed. "That was against Father's rules," she reminded him.

"We were engaged, though," Stephen continued.

"Engaged...or not...we still broke the rules. Stephen, you came knocking on my door and wanted to run away and get married."

"And to settle me down you came back to my room with me." Stephen smiled and laughed at the memory. He thought a little more about it. "Your parents knew what we were up to, didn't they?" Stephen's realization truly began to hit home.

"You're following very well in his footsteps," Suzanne smiled.

Stephen sat for a moment, thinking. "I'm not sure I'm ready for her to get married, Suzy. Are you sure that's what we're headed for?"

Suzanne nodded at him with a smile. "She's 28, Sweetheart. She's had other men in her life but never has she specifically brought one home to meet us. Do you really think, if he was just a passing fancy, that she would fly here with him - or that he would fly her here - and come to our home? He's a grown man, Stephen, but he's under her spell. I'm telling you, he's smitten with our Jenny and she's deeply engaged with him."

Stephen didn't catch her bit of wordplay, but he was listening. "So, you're saying I just need to accept this? I don't like the idea of them sleeping together in our home. Her sharing a bed…" Stephen shivered slightly and a scowl returned. "I'm still her father," he declared.

Suzanne laughed at him, making him roll his eyes as the scowl turned to a pout. "My Darling," she shook her head and pulled him toward her for a kiss.

He smiled unwillingly and then turned to place his book on the nightstand and made himself comfortable in the bed.

"So we are agreed, Stephen?" Suzanne questioned as he adjusted his pillow and rested on his side.

"Agreed?" Stephen wondered for a moment, wrapping his head around her thoughts. He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "Yes, yes, I understand. I'll turn a blind eye to the sleeping arrangements. But they don't need to know that," he emphasized.

Mrs. Edwards leaned her back against the headboard of the bed and smiled toward her husband. "By the way, I think Jonathan will want to have a little chat with you. I suggest you take him fishing tomorrow and continue being agreeable."

Stephen raised his head off the pillow slightly, understanding what she was telling him.

"Yes, Dear."

Jennifer slipped into the guestroom and adjusted her eyes to the darkness of the single lamp that Jonathan had illuminated beside the bed. She saw her nightgown lying on the bed beside him and quietly stepped over to grab it.

Jonathan smiled at her. "What took you so long?"

She shook her head. "I'm only here to make sure you get to sleep," she lied.

Jonathan grinned. "Are you fibbing to me again? I know you're here for purely selfish reasons."

Jennifer glared at him. "I can always go back to my room. Or, even better, I could go tell my parents that you snuck into my room."

Jonathan pressed his lips together, holding back a smile. "Would you just get in bed?"

She stepped back and held up her gown. "I need to change."

"You're not going back to your room for that, are you?" He asked almost childishly. "If we're disobeying Daddy's orders, I'd prefer to just keep you here and not take another chance on getting caught," Jonathan admitted.

Jennifer smiled at him. "Don't look," she instructed aimlessly.

Jonathan closed his eyes but continued looking in her direction. "How's this?"

Jennifer rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No peeking," she told him as she began unbuttoning her blouse.

She stared at his closed eyes as she removed her top, bra and her pants. She slipped into the silken night dress and then crawled into bed beside him.

"How'd I do?" he wondered as she cuddled next to him.

Jennifer ran a hand across his chest, "I'm ever-so-slightly disappointed," she watched her fingers running through the course hairs.

"Why?" he opened his eyes and looked down at her. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling more content and relaxed.

"You really didn't peek," she pretended to whine.

Jonathan lifted her chin in order to kiss her. "I didn't have to," he told her as he pressed his lips to hers. "I can envision your body with my eyes closed. You've been in my dreams since the night we met."

He kissed her again but pulled back when he felt the laugh on her lips.

"What?" he wondered.

"Jonathan, that was corny," she smiled and looked into his eyes.

He shook his head. "It's true, though," his boyish charm broke through.

They met again for a kiss, this time without any laughter from either of them. Jennifer felt completely at home when Jonathan rolled her back to the mattress and pressed his tongue between her lips.

His hands moved over her body, caressing her arms, her legs and then moving to her breasts.

She wrapped her hands around his head, lengthening their kiss. She moaned quietly as his hands excited her senses.

Jonathan slid his leg across her thighs, holding her in place, almost protectively. Jennifer enjoyed the feeling, including the ample length she felt pressing against her hip. She tried to turn her body toward him, wanting to feel him pressing against other, more sensitive areas. To her dismay he gently held her in place only allowing their kiss to deepen.

Jennifer moved her hands to his shoulders, reluctantly pushing him away from her enough to interrupt their liplock.

"Jonathan," she whispered breathlessly, "are you just going to keep teasing me, or are you going to make love to me?"

He moved his lips along her cheek, to her earlobe where his tongue darted out and blazed a path down her neck. Jonathan kissed his way to the thin strap on her shoulder before stopping and raising his head.

"You know I want you right now," he whispered to her.

Jennifer placed a hand on his cheek and looked at him curiously. "But?" she began the next part of his thought.

"Buuutttt," he drew out the word as he placed more kisses on her lips and face, willing his libido to calm down. "I would like to respect your father's instructions...sort of."

"Sort of?" Jennifer looked at him and leaned her head more firmly into the pillows. "Now you want me to go back to my room?" she shook her head.

"No!" he replied adamantly. "But, I'm not sure I feel completely comfortable undressing you with a serious chance of your father walking in on us."

Jennifer smiled at him seductively. She slowly pushed his leg off of hers and sat up farther in the bed. "Challenge accepted," she raked her teeth over her lips and ran the tip of her index finger along the line between his lips.

Jonathan watched as she walked to the door, locked it and proceeded back to the bed. But instead of climbing back in she stood beside him and began sliding the straps of her gown off her own shoulders and allowed the material to drop to the floor, pooling at her feet. He blinked as he took in her beautiful nakedness, although she was laying waste to his plans to temper his sexual desire for just one night.

"Now," Jennifer reached for his hand placing it on the trim waistband of her final piece of clothing. "You don't have to undress me completely. However… if you'll finish the job I would really like to undress you."

She looked at his surprised, aroused face. Jennifer was pleased when his thumb and index finger tugged on the elastic of her panties, wanting them off her body.

"I haven't seen this side of you," Jonathan spoke of her advances.

"Really? I thought you had seen _all_ of me." Jennifer bent down to run her fingers across his chest again as Jonathan completed his task of uncovering her.

She slid a leg across his, straddling his still-covered groin but feeling his excitement expanding again.

He bucked gently against her, a look of desire forming on both their faces.

Jennifer moved her hands to his pajama pants, eager to get that barrier out of the way as well.

"Have you always been one to defy your parents' rules?" Jonathan wondered as she wriggled the soft material down his legs.

When she repositioned herself on his thighs she left room for her hands to cup and stroke him, admittedly arousing them both beyond measure.

"You're apparently a bad influence on me Mr. Hart," she enjoyed the pleasure on his face as her actions brought him toward the edge.

"Oh, but you're soooo good," he stretched his words out as she stretched herself over top of him.

Jennifer's next sound was his name in a loud moan. Jonathan grinned as he covered her mouth with his hand. Their coupled motions stalled for a moment as she realized what had just happened.

She smiled with a blush on her cheeks as she puckered her lips and kissed his palm. Jonathan smiled as well. "Shhh," he grinned and moved his hand back to her hips, guiding their body rhythms to connect once more.

Neither knew if their final moments had aroused any other attention, although Jonathan was quite sure Jennifer hadn't been able to adhere to his quiet warning.

When the doorknob rattled both cringed and pulled the covers up over their naked bodies, preparing for the worst. A soft rap on the wood made Jennifer poke Jonathan in the shoulder, instructing him to call for an answer.

"Who is it?" Jonathan asked in a raspy, post-lovemaking voice.

"Sorry, Jonathan, I didn't mean to wake you. I just thought I heard a noise...and Jennifer isn't in her room." Stephen's all-knowing voice attempted to sound sincere.

"No problem, Stephen," Jonathan raised his voice enough to be heard. "That was probably just me stumbling to the bathroom in the dark. I apologize."

"Ah, okay," Stephen rolled his eyes outside the doorway. "I could've sworn I heard Jennifer's voice."

Jennifer turned to hide her face against Jonathan's ribs, unsure whether she was feeling embarrassed, guilty, or just sated by the physical and heartfelt love they had just shared.

"Say, Jonathan," Stephen continued pressing as slightly as he could imagine. "Since you're awake, how about we get a little drink and talk...man to man."

Jennifer sat up in bed, one hand on Jonathan's chest, and looked at him with now wide eyes.

Jonathan sat up as well and put his index finger over his lips. He wanted her quiet; not giving up their bit of secret sanctuary just yet.

"That, sounds good, Stephen. Thank you." Jonathan answered. "Let me find my robe and I'll meet you downstairs in a minute or two?" he requested.

"Perfect." Stephen pressed his lips together unable to ignore the empty bed in Jennifer's room when he knew perfectly well which bed she was in. Still, he had promised Suzanne that he would overlook the sleeping arrangements. 'Overlook,' he thought to himself…'blind eye,' he reminded himself of his own words. He shook his head. He would in no way condemn either of the adults behind the door. But he did want them to know that he wasn't a completely ignorant male human.

"Oh, Jonathan?" He spoke once more.

"Yes, Sir?" Jonathan asked as he began untangling himself from Jennifer and the sheets, looking for his underwear, pj's and robe.

"Tell Jennifer to try and sleep while you and I are talking. She and I will take a ride in the morning and have our own little chat."

 **Two Harts - Chapter 15 - Two Harts**


	16. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 16

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 16**

 _Jonathan slipped into his robe and slippers and left Jennifer with a kiss on the cheek before heading out the bedroom door. He saw Stephen heading into the kitchen and stopped just a minute in the hallway overlooking the staircase and living room._

' _This is it, Jonathan,' he spoke to himself mentally and took a few deep breaths. 'He's likely to throw a barrage of questions at you. You're not interviewing for a job. You DO have to sell yourself. You want his daughter as your wife and whether she's 8 or 108 he wants the best for her. And you aren't it…but don't take that personally. No one is good enough for her.'_

 _Another deep breath._

 _He stepped onto the stairs and made his way down to the lower level. For a few moments he looked around at the furniture and then went to a bookshelf, choosing to admire pictures of his beloved from her childhood._

 _He found one in particular that made him smile. He guessed she might be 12 or 13 years old, dressed in full riding gear and holding the reigns of a horse and a championship ribbon._

 _Jonathan thought about the discussion he and Jennifer had had about her riding accident. He assumed this picture was taken after all of that had happened which meant Jennifer had gotten back on a horse and worked her way through whatever pain and fear the accident may have caused._

 _He felt Stephen's presence even without a word from the older gentleman. A slight shadow cast on the picture didn't deter Jonathan from staring at it._

" _She's beautiful," Jonathan stated._

" _Sweet Sue," Stephen offered, speaking of the horse. "She was Jennifer's favorite."_

" _I was actually referring to Jennifer," Jonathan commented with a glance at Stephen. He sat the framed picture back on the shelf and took a cup of warm spiked milk from Jennifer's father._

 _Jonathan continued to look at the pictures as Stephen made his way to his favorite chair. The older man sat down and watched as Jonathan's stance changed slightly each time his eyes shifted to another picture._

 _When he finally turned around and found Stephen in the chair, Jonathan smiled at him showing just a few nerves. He took a sip of the sweetened drink and walked to the couch where he attempted to get comfortable._

" _Tell me about yourself, Jonathan Hart," Stephen instructed._

 _Jonathan leaned forward, his cup in his hands, but resting his elbows on his knees._

" _I'm sure you've already done your research, haven't you?" He asked without any malice in his voice._

" _I have," Stephen answered. "But I want to hear it from you. What won't I find in the biographical information that I've read about you? What more is there to Jonathan Hart than a middle-aged, self-made millionaire industrialist?" Stephen raised his eyebrows slightly. "And why is my only daughter currently in the guest room where you're staying – instead of in her own bedroom?"_

 _Jonathan ducked his head. "That was her choice, not mine," he began by giving a short answer to Stephen's third question._

 _Stephen blew a sarcastic snort through his nostrils knowing that this man was likely telling him the God's honest truth on that subject._

" _What makes me tick?" Jonathan quickly changed thoughts. "Until a couple of weeks ago I would've told you, without any hesitation, that my life was driven by business deals. I've made my life with mergers, financial stability for myself and the companies I choose to be involved with. My world started with military, transistors, and friends and acquaintances who helped me bring my ideas to fruition. And now, I'm at a point that I would much rather be at home scouring the Wall Street Journal than in my stuffy office sleeping through a business meeting."_

 _Stephen laughed softly. He took a drink from his own cup and continued sizing up the man in front of him. "Two weeks ago?" He dared to ask._

 _The look on Jonathan's face softened. That was Stephen's first clue in this conversation that he had instigated._

" _About two weeks ago I was sitting in a hotel bar when the most attractive woman in the world sat down next to me. She looked agitated, irritated, and ordered a drink that makes my own eyes water. When I asked her if she'd had a rough day she hesitated to answer and promptly took a long drink." He smiled at the not-so-distant memory._

" _Something inside me told me to help her. I don't ask total strangers to go to dinner – women in particular. The dates I've had, the relationships – if you want to call them that – have been with women that I've known for a while. And with most, I've known their families before becoming involved with them." Jonathan explained._

 _Stephen nodded but waited for Jonathan to continue._

" _But…Jennifer…" Jonathan stalled slightly, deciding to avoid the entire 'fake name' fiasco. "She had a presence about her. I wanted to know more about her right there. I wanted to take away whatever was bothering her at that very moment and make everything ok."_

 _Stephen sat still in his chair. His foot tapped slightly on the area rug that adorned the floor. He wouldn't let a smile come to his face but he could read Jonathan's perfectly. His daughter had apparently captured Jonathan's heart._

" _She knew who I was the minute she saw me. What I figured out later was that *I* was the one who had caused her to be so agitated. She wanted an interview with me about the whole Kingsford Motor deal and I had turned her down, more than once or twice."_

 _Stephen laughed again. "She's persistent, that's for sure."_

 _Jonathan nodded. "We went to dinner, we had a wonderful evening just talking to each other. And when I woke up the next morning something just clicked. Instead of the business deal, she was the first thing I thought about."_

 _He looked at Stephen and then just sat still. Jonathan took another sip of his drink and sat thinking about Jennifer. Stephen followed his lead, doing the same._

 _After another moment Jonathan spoke up again. "Stephen, I know you and Suzanne probably think we are crazy – and that I am out to get something from Jennifer, or from you."_

" _Aren't you?" Stephen asked sincerely._

 _Jonathan looked at his glass momentarily and then back at Jennifer's father. "I've done my research as well. I know that Stephen and Suzanne Edwards are art connoisseurs, gallery owners and that you come from a staunch, upper class British family. I know you have a military background and that you met your wife in Paris during the war. And I know you've provided for your family – and that your daughter loves you with almost every piece of her heart."_

" _Almost?" Stephen raised his eyebrows at Jonathan's claim._

" _Almost," Jonathan nodded. "In the past week or so, I believe that she's given me part of her heart." He pressed his lips together and attempted to relax as he addressed the older man. "My heart belongs to her now. I love Jennifer and I want her to be in my life for the rest of my life."_

 _He took a deep breath and made sure Stephen was looking at him eye to eye. "I asked Jennifer to marry me while we were in London. She told me 'yes', but we would both like your blessing - yours and Suzanne's. Without that, I don't know that she would truly accept my proposal. I can't put an engagement ring on her finger until I have your approval. I know that she and Suzanne are your life and there's absolutely nothing I could do – or would want to do – to change that. You are her father. I just…" Jonathan thought about his words and who he was speaking to, "I want to make Jennifer my life as well. I want to share with her a relationship like you have with Suzanne. And I'd like to have your permission to do that." He took in a long, slow breath and watched as Stephen continued looking at him._

 _After a long pause Stephen tilted his head to the side. "So the two of you are engaged already?" He thought about the conversation he and Suzanne had shared._

" _Yes, and no…" Jonathan pressed his lips together and then released them several times as he thought. "I'll let Jennifer give you the details when she's ready. Suffice it to say, I asked, and she agreed, but at the hint that you might not approve, she was concerned."_

 _Stephen sat back in his chair and crossed his legs._

" _If she loves you and you love her, then my approval shouldn't matter…should it?"_

 _The two men stared at each other; neither wanting to give away the feelings that question was causing._

" _It doesn't," a voice from the top of the stairs startled them both slightly. Jonathan and Stephen both turned to see an eavesdropping Jennifer gripping the banister and looking at them. "But I would like to know that you and Mother trust my judgement enough that you'll be happy for me…for us. And that you're willing to let Jonathan be part of our family."_

 _She made her way down the stairs slowly, keeping an eye on Jonathan the entire way. He watched as she neared the last step and could tell she had shed a few tears. So he stood instinctively and walked toward her, reaching a hand out to hold hers as they came back to the sofa._

" _How long were your listening?" Jonathan asked her softly._

" _Long enough to know that you're being very gentle with my father. And he's handled this very well until that last question." Jennifer placed a kiss on Jonathan's cheek and then looked at her father._

 _Stephen looked at the two of them and then eyed his daughter specifically. "Young lady, you're supposed to be in YOUR room, asleep. And I would still like to know Jonathan's answer to my question."_

 _Jennifer's eyes widened and she sat up straighter at Stephen's accusation._

" _I-" She began to stutter but Jonathan squeezed her hand._

" _Stephen, I'll gladly answer that question," he looked at Jennifer's father and held tightly to her hand in clear view of him. "My first answer matches Jennifer's. Your approval, or disapproval, won't change how I feel about her – nor how she feels about me. I love her and will want to marry her, whether you agree or not. HOWEVER," he quickly continued, "your family, the three of you, are so special to Jennifer that I wouldn't want anything to change that. I would appreciate your approval because I know that it would make Jennifer happy. And that is my main goal."_

 _Stephen looked back and forth between them. Jennifer laid her head on Jonathan's shoulder and pulled herself closer to him. Stephen could see the content face that she wore, especially when Jonathan turned his head and placed a lingering kiss against her scalp._

" _I suspect your mother would kick me out of the house if I said anything other than 'Yes'. But Jonathan, let me tell you, right here, in front of Jennifer – and I will reiterate it as many times as necessary… If you hurt her in any way, I reserve the right to make your life a living hell. Is that understood?"_

 _Jennifer placed a kiss against Jonathan's shoulder, muffling a laugh but truly appreciating what her father was saying._

 _Jonathan smiled at Stephen. "I understand completely, Sir. And I would expect nothing less."_

 _He turned his face toward Jennifer and smiled widely as she returned his tooth-filled excitement. She met his eyes and eagerly pressed a kiss to his lips as her father watched._

 _Stephen took another drink from his cup and stood slowly. He didn't feel embarrassed at all as Jonathan and Jennifer remained face to face, whispering to each other. He didn't need to hear any of their words, he simply relished seeing the glow that his daughter apparently got just from this man's presence._

 _He could never deny Jennifer anything that made her this happy._

 _He quietly made his way back into the kitchen to put his cup in the sink. When he returned, the happy couple was still interlocked, sharing another more intimate kiss that made him shake his head and remember his fatherly role._

" _Will you two please take that upstairs? But I warn you. If I hear any more noises from THAT room tonight, I will separate the two of you. The guest HOUSE *IS* an option. Is that understood?"_

 _Jonathan and Jennifer giggled. "Yes, Sir," Jonathan attempted._

" _G'Night Pa," Jennifer puckered her lips and blew a kiss in her father's direction. She laughed sincerely as the gentleman rolled his eyes at her._

" _You and I will still go riding in the morning, Young Lady."_

 _In turn, Jennifer rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, Sir," she answered and accepted his grumpy 'Humph' in return._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 16 - Two Harts**


	17. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 17

**Two Harts - Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 17**

 _Jennifer awoke the next morning at the first sign of the sun peeking into her bedroom window. She remembered that she loved seeing the sun shining over the fields and how the rays were broken up by the trees before glowing through her curtained portal._

 _Luckily, the guest bedroom faced the same direction, so she got a similar view, marred ever-so-slightly by the shoulder of the man who seemed to be holding her like a teddy bear._

 _She leaned her head enough to place a soft kiss on that shoulder and smiled. After making love to her for a second time that night Jonathan had wrapped his arms around her and refused to let go. Jennifer had wriggled around until she found a position in which she wasn't crushed by him, she was able to breathe, and could watch him fall asleep._

" _Jennifer," he spoke in a near whisper and shifted his body, pulling her closer and wrapping a leg over her hips._

 _Jennifer bit her bottom lip in slight surprise and enjoyment. She felt 'Jon Junior' beginning to make his presence known under the cotton boxer shorts that Jonathan had begrudgingly put back on after they consummated Stephen's acceptance of Jonathan's proposal._

" _Mmm," She kissed his shoulder again. "I like waking up this way," she whispered._

" _Jennifer," he said again, his voice slightly deeper._

 _She pulled back to look at his face. His eyes were still closed, but she could see his jaw set in a determined fashion. Without looking at her his hips began moving slowly against her thigh._

" _Jonathan?" She awoke a little more as she realized he apparently wasn't awake, but was about to perform another round of lovemaking – without her._

" _You're…so… yesss…" he hissed and pressed his hardened length firmly against her, holding her more tightly than Jennifer wanted, considering their current setting._

" _Jon-a-than," she tried raising her voice slightly louder and slowing the pronunciation of his name. "Darling," she moved her body simply trying to make him aware that something about this situation wasn't kosher._

 _When she could move her hands to his face she placed them on his cheeks and found a way to get her lips on his._

" _Hmmmm," he finally hummed and breathed in deeply. "This is a great way to wake up," he mumbled. "But I was having a pretty amazing dream…" He blinked his eyes and then felt Jennifer flex her thigh._

 _His eyes opened wider and he looked into her hazel irises that weren't exactly laughing. She appeared somewhat amused and yet not completely happy._

" _Care to finish that thought?" She moved her hand down to his boxers and didn't hesitate to cup him and run her fingers up and down the hardness under the cloth._

 _Jonathan swallowed roughly. "Apparently I did… almost finish, that is."_

" _I'm very happy that it was my name you were saying. You were dreaming about me?" she picked at him._

 _Jonathan ducked his head, embarrassed._

" _Jonathan?" Jennifer stopped her hand. She placed her fingers under his chin, coaxing him to look back at her._

" _I – I'm sorry about that," he apologized sincerely._

" _Don't," she looked at him with darkened eyes, aroused purely by the idea of being in his dreams._

" _Don't?" he wondered._

" _Don't apologize," she looked directly into his eyes before kissing him deeply. "I like knowing that you're dreaming of me…and…" now she felt slightly embarrassed but pushed herself to continue. She gently grasped his penis, "and how this guy is reacting to that dream."_

 _Jonathan smiled a groggy, sexy smile at her. "Can I continue dreaming, then?"_

 _Jennifer wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head toward hers. "I'll be offended if you don't…"_

 _When she awoke again it was the sound of a faint knock at the door that caught her attention._

" _Jennifer?" Stephen's voice trickled through._

 _She looked at the clock and quickly realized it was well after 8AM. Her father had probably been up and waiting for her for at least a couple of hours._

" _Pa?" She tried to call softly in order to allow Jonathan to continue whatever dream or fantasy he might have running through his mind now._

 _She smiled and crawled out of the bed, sliding Jonathan's arm off of hers and onto the mattress. She took just a second to admire him lying there before quickly clothing herself and putting his robe on over her nightclothes._

 _Jennifer walked to the door, unlocked it and then opened it just a crack to peek at her father._

 _Stephen glanced at her and rolled his eyes. "Are we riding this morning, or not? I'll be ready for lunch before you're even dressed."_

" _Pa," Jennifer scolded and lowered her chin, attempting to give him a look like her mother would do. "Give me 15 minutes. I'll be dressed and ready to go. I don't have my riding boots with me, though. Maybe I can borrow Mother's?" She requested._

 _Stephen nodded at her, a bit more content that she was out of bed and that her intentions hadn't changed._

" _I'll get her boots from the closet and meet you downstairs," Stephen offered._

 _Jennifer nodded and smiled at him. "I'll be down in just a few."_

 _Stephen recognized her smile. It was a happy young woman. Unfortunately, it wasn't him who had put this smile on her face…or was it?_

 _He grinned back at her, a slightly sarcastic, fatherly, closed-lip look with a shake of his head. "Don't be too long," he ordered. "This is a father-daughter outing."_

 _Jennifer nodded at him and rolled her own eyes. "I know, Pa. Jonathan's still asleep, anyway."_

 _Stephen looked at her directly. "West Coaster sleeping in? Psshhh, what kind of businessman is that?"_

 _Jennifer's eyes widened. She could answer her father with something that would embarrass both of them. Or, she could allow him this single dig at her fiancé._

" _The millionaire kind," she raised her eyebrows in defiance and let the thought simmer in her father's brain._

" _Touché," Stephen sighed, causing Jennifer to smile again._

 _With that he turned back toward his own bedroom to retrieve Suzanne's boots for their daughter._

 _Jennifer closed the door and looked back at the bed where Jonathan was beginning to rouse. He slid an arm behind his head and opened his eyes, looking toward the door._

" _Everything ok?" He wondered in a sleepy voice._

 _Jennifer walked back to his side of the bed. "Mmm-hmm," she nodded and bent over to kiss his cheek. "Dad and I are heading out for a ride. You can go back to sleep if you want."_

 _Jonathan reached a hand toward her and linked his fingers with hers. "You know me. When I'm up, I'm up."_

 _Jennifer laughed at his sleepy eyes. "That may be true. But sometimes you're up when you're still asleep. Those are the sneak attacks I have to watch out for apparently."_

 _Jonathan blushed and grinned. "Can I help it if I have enjoyable dreams about my fiancée?"_

" _No," Jennifer grinned at his reddened cheeks. "I just need a little forewarning…or foreplay, if you will…"_

 _Jonathan looked at her seriously. "Did I hurt you?" He held her fingers more tightly._

 _Jennifer shook her head. "No, you didn't," she leaned down again and kissed his lips to let him know she wasn't lying about that. "I just," she pulled back enough to look at his adoring face, "I like it when we take our time…making love."_

 _He pulled her back toward him for another kiss. "I'll remember that," his sexy voice sent a shiver down her spine as he whispered against her ear and then kissed her earlobe._

 _She stood up straight. "Remember it for later, please. Right now I'm supposed to be downstairs with my parents."_

 _Jonathan grinned and winked at her. "Oh, believe me, I will."_

 _To return his teasing, Jennifer quickly discarded the robe, letting him see her in just the thin nightgown that she was about to change out of. Once she had her clothes in hand she turned and puckered her lips in his direction._

" _Later, Sailor," she practically strutted out of the room._

 _Jonathan shook his head. Taking a word from Jennifer's father he blew a breath between his lips and watched her walk away. "Touché."_

 _Jennifer slipped on the boots by the back door of their home and then headed out with her father. Suzanne remained in the kitchen, watching her two favorite people going to partake in something they both enjoyed. She sipped her coffee and smiled. Their little girl was getting ready to get married. She hoped her husband would appreciate that fact for their daughter's happiness._

" _So," Stephen started as they both settled into the saddles and directed the horses toward the door of the barn. "What more would you like to tell me about this beau of yours?"_

 _Jennifer tugged on the reins getting her horse to match the gait of Stephen's, slow and steady, allowing her and her father to talk along the way._

" _What would you like me to tell you, Pa?" She let the horse make its way down the path knowing they were headed to one of her favorite spots by the pond on the horse farm._

" _This is all just…quite sudden, it seems to me," Stephen explained. "One minute you're working in London, writing for the paper and excited about an upcoming story. Next thing I know we haven't heard from you in a week and we're seeing headlines that include your name in the body of the story – NOT as the writer." He tightened his hold on the reins and slowed just enough for Jennifer to bypass him on a narrow spot._

" _And then," he continued with Jennifer's head turned toward him, "you miss your flight home and move in with a millionaire that you've apparently just met but you're ready to marry."_

 _Jennifer smiled softly as her father recounted portions of her life with Jonathan, thus far._

" _The whole scenario doesn't sound like MY Jennifer. MY daughter has a good head on her shoulders and weighs all the pro's and con's before jumping into important decisions. The last few weeks sound like a woman who is jumping into the water head first, without even wading in to see if there are sharp rocks."_

 _Jennifer ducked her head. He was right, of course, but there was still something telling her that she was making the right decision, safe or not._

 _She didn't answer Stephen right away. They rode for a few minutes in silence, just the sounds of nature's morning glory playing in their ears. When they reached the pond both slid off their mounts and held loosely to the halters, bringing the horses nearly face to face._

" _Pa?" She finally looked at her father like the young girl that he could still see inside of her._

" _Jennifer?" He responded easily._

" _You're absolutely right, but -" she chewed on her bottom lip as she thought. "Do you remember when I was in the hospital, after my riding accident?"_

" _Yes," Stephen answered with a nod of his head. It was a time he would like to forget, but never could._

" _The day that they released me from the hospital you asked if I would ever want to go riding again," Jennifer watched his eyes closely._

 _Stephen didn't seemed ashamed by the memory or too upset by it. Instead he watched his daughter's eyes and again nodded. "You thought I was being cruel to you. You thought I was trying to prod you into getting mad or goad you into doing something you weren't ready to do."_

 _Jennifer agreed. "Even mother nearly smacked you for asking me that. It was so soon."_

" _But on the way home you considered that question, didn't you?" he placed a hand on Jennifer's shoulder and watched, wondering what was going through her mind._

" _I did," she said. "When you asked, I didn't answer. I remember looking at you like you were crazy. I remember wanting to tell you that I never wanted to see another horse or jump in my life." She raised her free hand to place over his on her shoulder._

" _But in that same moment I thought about Sweet Sue. And when we got in the car to come home I thought more and more about her and how wonderful it was to just sit in the saddle and let her take me wherever she wanted to go. I could ride her from dusk till dawn."_

 _Stephen turned his hand to grip hers. They dropped the horses' reins at the edge of the pond and walked hand in hand toward a tree that had often been Jennifer's hiding place as a younger girl._

" _I told you as long as I had Sweet Sue, I would consider riding again. But that was all, just riding."_

 _Stephen slowly gestured for them to sit down at the base of the tree._

 _Jennifer looked carefully at her father. "You told me that you would never force me to ride again - unless I wanted to. You said I would know when I was ready to ride again. And, that something inside of me would tell me when it was right. You and mother would encourage me, but I would know when I was ready."_

 _Stephen smiled, getting an idea of where Jennifer was going with this analogy._

" _When I ran into Jonathan in that bar and he spoke to me first and asked me out, I knew. As sure as I knew that I was ready to ride, the first day that I got back onto Sweet Sue, I knew that I was in love with him. I was hesitant and scared, riding again, but as we went along it was right. And the more time I spend with Jonathan, I knew…I know… this is right. I love him, Pa. And I truly believe that he loves me, too." She smiled at Stephen, hoping he could understand what she was telling him._

" _I believe that, too," Stephen agreed, to Jennifer's slight surprise. "I can see it in your eyes. He's put a sparkle in there that I haven't seen in a long time. It…it's nice," he admitted._

 _Jennifer smiled. She stood up, helped her father up and then wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Pa," Jennifer left a kiss on his cheek._

" _And I love you, my darling daughter," Stephen agreed. "But I meant what I said, if he hurts you in any way, he will answer to me!"_

" _Thank you," Jennifer smiled._

" _Now tell me," Stephen turned slightly serious again. "Have you told him about your riding accident? Have the two of you discussed…"_

 _Jennifer nodded with a slightly sad look. "Jonathan's very understanding about that – at this point. He doesn't want me to be hurt. But I do think there's a part of him that wants children. Although, he says it scares him a little, because he grew up without parents, he's not sure if he'd be a good father or not."_

 _Stephen considered that thought. "He wasn't adopted?"_

 _Jennifer shook her head. "No. He was a ward of the state until he turned 18. Although I think Max took him under his wing when Jonathan was a teen. Oh, Max!" Jennifer smiled more widely at her father._

" _Who is Max?" Stephen wondered curiously._

" _He is the only hint of family that Jonathan has. He's like an uncle, or a father figure. Max met Jonathan by pure coincidence when Jonathan was at the orphanage. They started hanging around together – Max showed Jonathan the ropes, I guess you could say. And then Max was injured in the war and Jonathan swore to take care of him. Now they live together, Max is Jonathan's chauffeur, butler, housekeeper, I guess." She stopped and let Stephen wrap his head around that thought._

" _Max was in London with Jonathan when all of the chaos started. And, he had a hand in me missing my flight so that Jonathan could propose to me."_

 _Stephen crossed his hands over his chest. "I thought you wanted me to like this other man. And what's this- Jonathan has already proposed?" He pretended to be surprised by this news although he was perfectly aware._

 _Jennifer ignored Stephen's last question. "You will like him," she spoke of Max. I swear to you, you will. He's a more gruff form of Walter." Jennifer grinned._

" _What's to become of Max when you and Jonathan are married? Where are you going to live? How soon am I to expect a wedding invitation? That WILL come before you move in together, won't it?" Stephen's eyebrows raised as more questions came to mind and Jennifer's head was reeling in a different direction._

 _Jennifer grasped her father's bicep and led him back toward the horses. "Max and Jonathan come as a package deal. Jonathan will keep his promise. He will take care of Max as long as Max needs or wants. I'm still trying to understand their history, but I have a feeling Max will be part of our lives for a long time."_

" _Jennifer," Stephen looked at his daughter again seriously as he prepared to give her a leg up onto her horse once more._

" _Yeah?" She reverted slightly to Stephen's baby girl._

" _Jonathan, this man, he IS the one you want to marry? You know that HE is the one?" He looked deep into her eyes that matched Suzanne's._

 _Stephen realized in that moment that he was practically looking into his wife's eyes. He had learned to read those eyes by studying them day in and day out for decades._

 _So when Jennifer met his gaze and simply said "Yes" he knew, without a doubt, that she had made up her mind._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 17 - Two Harts**


	18. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 18

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 18**

 _Jonathan took his time showering and changing into presentable clothes before making his way downstairs once Jennifer was off on her riding adventure. He had a hundred thoughts circling in his head – everything from making a call to the California office, to making his way into the New York office, to flying back to Los Angeles and finding a real estate agent who would find the perfect house for Jennifer._

 _Jennifer – she was the one constant in all of his thoughts. He didn't want to call California because it would take him away from her. He didn't want to go to New York unless she came with him. And the idea of flying back to Los Angeles, potentially without Jennifer, made him sad._

 _His face must have looked concerned as he traversed the stairs and found his way back to the kitchen. Jonathan wasn't actually sure how he had gotten there because the last thing he remembered was thinking about Jennifer in a wedding dress…_

" _Good Morning, Mr. Hart," Walter spoke in a friendly, wide-awake voice._

 _Jonathan's head jerked slightly, reacting to the voice calling his name. "Oh, good morning Walter," he made himself smile at the gentleman who was already grabbing an empty coffee cup to offer their guest a morning drink._

 _Walter gestured toward the table as Jonathan glanced out the window. "Would you mind if I sit outside?" Jonathan wondered, seeing the sunlight. "It looks like a lovely morning out there."_

 _Walter smiled and nodded. "Absolutely, Mr. Hart. Mrs. Edwards is taking her breakfast out there as well. Do you need cream and sugar for your coffee?"_

 _Jonathan nodded and also accepted the offer of scrambled eggs and toast for a meal. Then he placed the tips of his fingers into the pocket of his blue jeans and stepped out the door onto the deck where he saw Suzanne gazing out to the farmland._

" _Good morning," Jonathan offered sincerely to get her attention._

" _Well good morning!" Suzanne returned with a delighted smile. "Come, sit down, Jonathan."_

 _He did as she instructed, taking a seat across the table from her. He, too, looked at the pastures and noticed the dew on the ground and a slight fog in a couple of low-lying areas._

" _This is beautiful," he commented._

 _Suzanne looked at him and smiled easily. "I could sit here all day long and just watch the wind blow through the trees. But I don't get that opportunity very often."_

 _Jonathan looked back at her. "Travel? Volunteering? Business?" He wondered casually._

" _All of the above," Suzanne nodded. "When Stephen travels I go with him. When we are home I have several organizations that occupy my time. I guess volunteering is somewhat my business. Although, I do help Stephen at the gallery from time to time as well."_

 _Jonathan nodded with an honest look of interest on his face._

 _They sat quietly for a few minutes before Suzanne turned her gaze toward Jonathan's face again._

" _Yes, Ma'am?" Jonathan raised his eyebrows, waiting for a motherly tone, although her face still seemed soft and warm._

 _Suzanne ran her fingers through her hair as she leaned back in her chair. Jonathan had already witnessed Jennifer doing the same action a few times as she thought about something she wanted to say._

 _Suzanne laughed softly. "I feel as though I need to interrogate you… that as the 'mother-of-the-bride' I need to question your intentions or read you the riot act for stealing our daughter from us…" She watched his eyes._

 _Jonathan ducked his head momentarily, avoiding her eyes. When he looked back at her with a slight blush on his cheeks, he could see his bride-to-be in those very eyes. "But?"_

 _Suzanne sat up straighter but kept watching him. She knew he was a bit older than Jennifer, and yet he was to be her 'son'. He was handsome, clean-cut, well spoken, and a gentleman._

" _I know you and Stephen talked last night. And I know our daughter is in love with you. You've given me no reason to disagree with her judgement. I've never had to delve into this area with any of Jennifer's suitors." Suzanne looked down at her coffee cup and stirred the liquid gently with a spoon as Walter brought Jonathan's food to him._

 _They again sat for a moment as Jonathan ate and Suzanne thought._

 _Between bites Jonathan looked at Suzanne with a question of his own. "Were there…has she had… Jennifer, I mean, has she had a lot of… suitors?"_

 _Suzanne nearly giggled quietly. "Are you concerned about previous beaus?"_

 _Jonathan sat up a bit straighter. "No… unless you think I should be," he tried to smile._

 _Suzanne shook her head. "Mr. Hart, no other man has proposed to Jennifer – at least not to my knowledge. She had a few boyfriends in college. She has had a couple of relationships that Stephen and I were aware of since then. But no other man has caused her to call home declaring that she's in love. Just you."_

 _She watched Jonathan relax a little at that information. "Then I'm treading new ground, it appears." He took a few more bites of eggs and then sipped on his coffee._

 _Jonathan leaned back in his seat and looked back out at the land. "I just want to make Jennifer happy, Mrs. Edwards," he spoke quietly but clearly._

" _Now, now… It's Suzanne and Stephen. Don't let him make you call him Mr. Edwards. If you're to be part of this family then we should be on a first name basis at the least. Don't you think?"_

 _Jonathan smiled at her. "Suzanne, I just want her to be happy. Jennifer and I both know this is crazy. I'm pleasantly surprised that I'm here meeting you now – that she didn't back out or change her mind about my proposal. I guess I tend to do things a bit 'over the top'. She will tell you that I had her arrested – twice. I politely disagree. I DID have her detained, twice." He grinned as Suzanne lifted her coffee cup to her lips and raised her eyebrows._

 _She sipped against the edge of the delicate china and then put it down slowly. "Go on…" she prodded._

" _When all of the chaos came to a head the police questioned us. As I watched them talking to Jennifer, all I could think about was how spirited she was and how excited I was to finally have a chance to get to know her. But Max – he's my right hand man – reminded me that I had to take care of the Kingsford Motor deal."_

 _Jonathan pouted as he recalled the sinking feeling that hit his heart when Max had taken his mind off the beautiful red head._

" _For a few moments, I was honestly scared that I would never see her again. I have never met a woman like her. And I never want to meet another. She is unique. I couldn't think of just walking away from her for a business deal." He looked at Jennifer's mother with a look in his eyes that conveyed his heartfelt emotion._

" _So?" Suzanne encouraged._

" _So, Max suggested I have them ask her about using a fake name…perhaps it would buy me enough time to sign some papers and get back to her." He cringed at the memory._

" _A fake name?" Suzanne tilted her head and then shook it as she wanted more information._

" _When we first met, Jennifer told me her name was Louise. She knew who I was and wanted an interview with me. I knew the name, Jennifer Edwards, but had no clue who she was, personally. Let's just say if she had given me her real name at that point, I may have had her arrested or been arrested myself." He raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath._

" _And yet she won you over – and continued winning you over even after you knew who she really was," Suzanne assumed._

 _Jonathan nodded and gave her a closed-lip smile. "She won my heart enough that I jumped into her police conversation and gave them a good reason to 'detain' her." His grin grew a little bigger._

 _Suzanne shook her head. If her daughter had had such an effect on this man after just a few days, she could only imagine what the past week had held for them both. Apparently he had had a similar effect on her. If she had spent time in police custody because of him and still returned to his arms when their craziness had settled, he must be doing something right._

" _You kept her from making her flight home," Suzanne still wanted to know more._

 _Jonathan agreed. "With a little more help from the police and our hotel concierge…they kept her from getting on the plane and brought her to me. I…" he hesitated and seemed slightly nervous thinking back on his proposal. "I did the only thing I could think to do. I asked her to marry me."_

" _And you convinced her to say 'yes' on the spot," Suzanne interjected._

 _Jonathan moved his head from side to side. "I convinced her not to leave London," he smiled mischievously. "The 'Yes' came a little later as we were riding around town in a horse drawn carriage."_

 _Suzanne raked her teeth over her bottom lip, imagining the two of them on their romantic ride. He had obviously left out something about his proposal. Perhaps it was something Jonathan and Jennifer wanted to keep between themselves. But she could see the love in his eyes as he recalled their story._

" _You love my daughter, don't you," she stated more than asked him._

 _Jonathan looked at her with a serious look and nodded his head, leaving no doubt in her mind._

" _What are your plans, for her – with her, now that you've spoken to me and Stephen?"_

 _Jonathan took another drink of his coffee and thought about the distractions that had occupied his mind as he came down the steps. "Honestly? I want to whisk her away, get married today and take her home with me. If I don't do that then I'm afraid I will be flying back to California without her and I will tell you, I don't like that idea."_

 _Suzanne shook her head at his thought. "I can't let you do that. Stephen won't let you do that. If that's what you both want, I know we can't stop you. But we will try." She gave Jonathan a look very similar to ones he had received from the nuns at the orphanage in his younger years._

 _He drew in a long breath through his nose and breathed it back out again. Jonathan crossed his arms over his chest._

" _Your honeymoon isn't over yet, Young Man," Suzanne easily moved into that motherly role. "But you do need to come back to reality."_

 _She tried her best not to smile as Jonathan practically huffed again. Suzanne could picture a younger version of this man trying to get his way. She imagined he had heard the word 'No' more times than he cared to count. And, she imagined he had become a very convincing man in the world of business._

 _But, how would he react to a parental force that could be just as stubborn as him?_

 _Suzanne watched him stare toward the trees in the field, knowing he was trying to formulate some plan in his mind that might satisfy everyone._

" _Jonathan," she spoke firmly, "Jennifer needs to return to her job. You need to return to yours. Yes, getting married is a HUGE, life changing event. But neither of you can just drop everything. You, in particular, have a corporation to run that needs your attention. I have faith that you can still give your company the work that it deserves – it bares your name – and still give Jennifer what she needs as well." She noted that he at least glanced at her, even if he still held a boyish pout on his face._

" _You're both adults. Marriage and life together are about compromise. You're a shrewd businessman. You know about compromise. Joining your life with Jennifer's is more than just a business deal. But I have no doubt that the two of you can work it out, together. Just know, you must communicate. Especially over the next few weeks or months – however long it takes you to plan a wedding and truly start your lives together – you must talk to each other. And, remember the love that you're feeling for each other right now. Don't ever forget that feeling. That love will get you through the rough patches and give you something to fall back on when you can't be together."_

 _His posture relaxed as he listened to Suzanne. While he didn't like the idea of being away from Jennifer, Suzanne's maternal insight was making sense to him. Still, there was a slight look of discontent on his face._

" _Am I getting through to you?" Suzanne smiled easily again showing Jonathan where Jennifer gained her magnificent features. She ducked her head to make sure she caught his eyes and that he was listening to her._

" _Yes," Jonathan admitted. "I just don't like the idea of being apart from her."_

" _And, after 30-plus years, I still don't like the idea of being apart from Stephen. But sometimes it has to happen."_

" _I get the point," Jonathan looked at her. "Thank you." He gave her a more relaxed, confident grin._

" _The two of you are going back to New York for a few days, is that correct?" Suzanne wondered._

 _Jonathan slowly moved his chin up and down. "Unfortunately. I would love to stay here longer, but I can almost guarantee that I'll be getting a call that demands my attention before the day is done. And Jennifer has already said that she needs to get back to write the great Kingsford Motor/Hart Industries interview," he grinned._

" _From the conversations that Stephen has had with Andi, and with Jennifer's editor, that better be one hell of an article." Suzanne took in a quick breath. "Otherwise Jennifer may find herself unemployed before she wants to be." Suzanne's face reflected unhappiness at that idea._

" _Would that mean I could take her back to California with me?" Jonathan smiled widely as he made the joke._

 _Suzanne quickly pointed her index finger at him and shook her head. "If you cause her to get fired, Mr. Hart, I will keep her here, personally and deny you any conjugal visits until the wedding takes place. Neither of you truly know the meaning of being 'detained' until there's a maternal force behind it."_

 _Jonathan's eyes widened and he shivered. Still he smiled at Jennifer's mother. "Yes, Ma'am," he offered politely. "I'm not sure I could live without those conjugal visits right now."_

 _Suzanne rolled her eyes. "You haven't seen her for 45 minutes. My Dear Boy," she shook her head. "You really do have it bad for my daughter, don't you?"_

 _Jonathan chuckled. She was right, he was already missing Jennifer after less than an hour apart._

" _Yeah," his heart was right at home on his sleeve, "I do."_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 18 - Two Harts**


	19. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 19

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 19**

 _Jennifer headed straight to Jonathan when she and Stephen made their way back to the house. Suzanne and Stephen both noticed that she didn't hesitate to seat herself on Jonathan's lap. Nor did she hesitate to drink from his coffee cup when Jonathan offered it to her._

 _Jennifer placed a simple, loving kiss on Jonathan's lips just as Stephen placed a similar one on his wife's mouth._

" _Come on," Jennifer smiled widely at Jonathan, slid off his lap and reached for his hand. "Let's walk," she requested as he took her hand and she pulled him out of the chair._

 _Stephen and Suzanne watched the younger couple as they headed down the wooden stairs and through a gate into one of the pasture areas where a couple of horses were grazing._

" _What do you think?" Stephen looked at his wife and then also looked at Walter when he brought coffee to both of them._

 _Walter smiled at them. "She seems happy," their friend commented about the woman whose life he had also watched for years._

 _Stephen nodded as did Suzanne. "My thought exactly," Stephen shook his head negatively even with the positive response._

 _Suzanne placed her hand over his. "Why are you being stubborn about this? Darling, she's 28 years old. You knew she would fall in love sooner or later. Did you think you and Walter would be the only men in her life?"_

 _Walter laughed and turned to go back into the kitchen. Stephen looked toward him. "Isn't that what you thought Walter? I believe you and I made an agreement years ago that we wouldn't let any other men into her life."_

 _He laughed again. "No, Sir, that agreement was broken when you let her travel on her own. Especially when you let her go to work in England. I told you I couldn't keep an eye on her when there's an ocean between us."_

 _Suzanne snorted at their antics as Stephen threw up his hands. "Well I at least had hoped she would fall for someone like Lester the undertaker. He's certainly not as headstrong as Jonathan Hart – and he still lives on the same side of the continent as we do."_

 _Mrs. Edwards patted his hand, shaking her head. "You know that would never work. Jennifer would never be satisfied here. Stephen, she's an adventurer and she needs a man who can keep up with her and share those adventures."_

 _Stephen looked at his wife and sighed, knowing she was right._

" _I think she's found just the man. Although…" Suzanne stalled to gain his attention and to take a drink of her fresh coffee._

" _Although?" Stephen looked at her curiously. "You mean there's still hope?"_

 _She chuckled at him with another shake of her head. "No, I was going to say, ALTHOUGH we'd better keep an eye on them because Jonathan is wanting to whisk her away and marry her today."_

" _Over – My – Dead - Body," Stephen sat up straight in his chair and glared at his wife._

" _And I told him as much," Suzanne assured her husband. "But you have given them your blessing."_

 _Stephen leaned back, trying to take in the whole situation._

" _We've raised her to have a good head on her shoulders. But love often takes away that common sense," Stephen commented._

 _Suzanne agreed. "That's true. And both of them seem to be in that bubble where they think the absolute best thing is to just be together, no matter what. We can just hope that perhaps they'll get to New York and work will give them another slap of reality to make them think about things."_

 _Stephen sighed heavily. "I do suspect the wedding date will be sooner, rather than later, don't you?"_

 _Suzanne recognized the bit of sadness on her husband's face. "Yes," she admitted. "But Darling, you aren't losing a daughter –"_

 _Stephen cut her off with a disgruntled look, "Don't you dare say I'm gaining a son."_

 _Suzanne smiled at him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Ah, but you are. And even though he's 38, this is a man who hasn't had a father-figure in his life…except for this Max fellow that I keep hearing about."_

" _Suzy," Stephen thought for a moment. "You don't suppose Jennifer has fallen in love with him as though he's a lost pup that she's bringing home?"_

 _Suzanne leaned her head back, knowing her husband was truly feeling that thought._

" _Oh, Sweetheart," she sighed. "I guarantee she's getting more from Jonathan than any stray animal she ever brought home. Sharing her bed with something warm and cuddly has gone to a whole other realm now."_

 _Stephen's eyes practically popped from their sockets as he looked at his wife, not believing she had just made that comparison. "A father doesn't need to know that," he quipped._

 _Both of them looked toward the field where Jonathan and Jennifer were walking together. His hand was wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her close. Jennifer's hand, in turn, was tucked snuggly into his back pocket, holding him safe and secure._

" _How was your ride?" Jonathan asked, finally happy that she was with him again._

" _It was good, very good, even," Jennifer replied. She smiled, turning her face toward him and receiving a welcomed kiss in return._

" _Stephen is content that we are getting married? He's not kicking me out of the house for letting you spend the night in MY room?"_

 _They both laughed at the thought as Jennifer shook her head. "If he kicks you out then I'm going, too. But I don't think that's even a possibility."_

 _They reached a tree almost out of sight of the house and found a comfortable spot to lean away from the watchful Edwards' eyes. Jennifer tiptoed and placed her lips on his, wanting a deeper kiss than they'd been able to share in front of Stephen and Suzanne._

 _Jonathan didn't hesitate, holding her hands in his and pulling her toward him as he let their tongues touch. Both held in a breath as they tasted each other and savored the stolen moment._

" _I do love you," Jonathan shared as they separated and just looked at each other._

" _And I love you," Jennifer smiled at him. "My parents... have taken to you better than I expected. Dad just wants to know that you are going to take care of me."_

" _As does your mother," Jonathan added. "Which, by the way, they may be watching us a little closer today. I think I inadvertently threatened to whisk you away and marry you today…"_

" _Jonathan! You didn't!" Jennifer looked at him seriously._

" _I did," he gave her a sideways, sorrowful kind of smile. "I wasn't lying. When you left to go riding I started thinking about work and having to go back to the office and yet all I could think about was NOT being with you. I'm not fond of that idea right now."_

 _Jennifer breathed deeply. "We do have to get back to reality eventually."_

" _That's what your mother made me realize. I'd really like to say 'To hell with reality'," he placed a kiss on her forehead._

 _Jonathan slid to the base of the tree and sat down, pulling Jennifer onto his lap._

" _Mother made you think about reality?" Jennifer asked as she soaked in the pouty look on his face._

" _Mmm-hmmm," Jonathan surmised._

" _Wow, you must've really scared her about getting married today," her eyes widened at the thought._

" _Why do you say that?" Jonathan looked at her and used his fingertips to move some hair off her forehead._

" _Mother's the dreamer, the positive thinker. She'll find good in just about anything." Jennifer looked at Jonathan seriously._

" _Well, she stayed positive, but she threatened to keep you here at home and not let me see you until after the wedding. It was the most motherly lecture I've had since I was about 12, I think." Jonathan cringed slightly making Jennifer smile again._

" _She loves you."_

" _What?" Jonathan pulled back enough to look at her clearly._

" _Mother doesn't lecture someone that she doesn't truly care about. Whatever you said to her, she wants you to really think about it. That's what I've always found with her. Any of my friends or her friends…she doesn't give a lecture unless she really cares about them and whatever they're trying to do."_

 _Jonathan smiled and welcomed another kiss from her. "I still think I'm more scared of your mother than I am your father."_

 _Jennifer laughed. "Probably a good call. She could stop Pa if he wanted to hurt you. I'm not sure he could stop her!"_

 _They shared a laugh and then sat silently. Jonathan wrapped his arms around Jennifer's waist and held her as they stared at the nature surrounding them. After a few moments Jonathan nuzzled his nose through her hair and placed a soft kiss behind her ear._

 _He rested his chin on her shoulder and quietly asked, "Are we at a point now that we can really start talking about a wedding?"_

 _Jennifer felt her heart jump. She smiled widely and wondered if Jonathan could see it, even though her back was pressed against his chest at the moment._

" _I'd like that very much," she leaned backwards even more against him and was thrilled at his kiss on her cheek and his tightened grip around her._

" _When? Where? Who?" Jonathan slowly spouted off his questions in order of importance._

 _Jennifer thought for a moment. "I guess we really can't get that all together and get married today, can we?"_

" _See!" Jonathan tossed his hands into the air and then let them rest on her abdomen._

 _Jennifer laughed at his reaction. "I want to marry you as soon as possible. But I'd like to have the wedding here. The church my family has attended is not far, it's small but that's fine. I just have a few family members to invite. I don't need anything elaborate."_

" _Are you sure?" Jonathan questioned her last statement. "I thought it was every girl's dream to have a huge wedding."_

 _Jennifer shook her head against his. "Not me. While my college friends were planning their big weddings I was wondering if our priest would just meet me and the groom by the horse barn. After the ceremony we'd ride into the sunset on horseback." She leaned her head against Jonathan's shoulder so she could see his reaction to that idea._

 _He smiled and looked down at her. "Roy and Dale and a rousing chorus of 'Happy Trails'?" He wondered as he gazed into her eyes._

" _Sort of," Jennifer nodded. "I just never got into the whole 'pick your wedding dress and make your guest list' thing. I didn't know, considering my issues about having a baby, if I would find a man who would want to marry me," she admitted._

" _Are you serious?" Jonathan wondered. He leaned away from her slightly as she nodded truthfully. "What man wouldn't want you? Jennifer, you're an intelligent, beautiful woman. Any man would be crazy not to want you as his wife."_

" _You're the first one that's ever asked me," she smiled almost sadly._

" _And I plan to be the last one," Jonathan stated defiantly with raised eyebrows and a serious look on his face._

 _Jennifer smiled at him warmly. "That's all I need," she puckered her lips requesting a kiss that he happily gave her._

 _Jonathan breathed in deeply. They watched the horses that wandered into their view before he turned his thoughts to something else._

" _Before we do any wedding planning, I guess we have some other loose ends to tie up, don't we?" He asked._

 _Jennifer thought for a second and then nodded. "Reality…rearing its ugly head," she almost groaned._

 _Jonathan grinned. "We both need to get to New York. Harry probably has 25 messages waiting for me. Your editor is likely wondering if you're ever coming back to work…"_

" _Which means Andi will probably be waiting outside my apartment for me to return. She's a wonderful friend, but I know she can only take so much. Charles is probably putting her through the third degree since I haven't been there to answer his questions." Jennifer sighed verbally._

" _When do you want to leave?" Jonathan asked hesitantly._

 _Jennifer sighed once more. She ran a couple of fingers over her forehead, not really wanting to answer his question. "I would love to take another week here, show you around the farm, around the town, take you to Pa's gallery…"_

 _Jonathan squeezed her lovingly. "We will have plenty of time to do those things. I promise. But I'm afraid we really do have to get back into the real world."_

 _Jennifer shook her head._

 _Jonathan put his lips at her ear. "To tell you the truth, I'm a little anxious to get to your apartment. There's a lingering thought about a lacy, red piece of lingerie that I would like to see you in…and then I'd like to take it off of you…ever so slowly…"_

" _Jonathan!" Her breath hitched and she shivered at the thought._

" _So," he put a little distance between them as he thought again, "when did you want to leave?"_

 _When she recovered, slightly she smiled and put a hand on his cheek. "Are we flying or driving?"_

" _Flying," Jonathan answered. "But I need to check in with Max. I'm not sure if he wants to go with us or catch a normal flight back to Los Angeles."_

" _If he goes with us, I only have one bedroom," Jennifer raised her eyebrows and offered him a sexy smile._

" _So Jack will fly us to the city, take Max back to California, and I'll find my way back to the West Coast eventually…" He bent down to kiss her warm, soft lips._

 _When both decided to breathe again they giggled at each other. Neither was sure exactly how Jennifer ended up in the grass with Jonathan practically on top of her. But apparently they had given their equine friends a show of some sort. The horses snorted at the humans who were trying to take over their pasture and then walked away from them._

" _Is this what we can consider reality now?" Jennifer looked at Jonathan as they sat up. She pulled a few blades of grass out of his hair and ran her fingers through it again, flattening a couple of spots that she had tousled during their playful romp._

" _I don't know that rolling around in a field is reality," Jonathan grinned. "But rolling around with you ANYWHERE is high on my new reality, priority list!"_

 _They laughed as each straightened their clothes, making themselves parent-presentable before clasping hands and walking back toward the Edwards' home._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 19 - Two Harts**


	20. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 20

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 20**

 _Jonathan was correct._

 _Before their day came to a close Harry had located him with a short laundry list of things that needed Jonathan's attention – a-s-a-p. And Jennifer's conversation with Andi had included lines about "…can't keep making excuses…swear I will post news of your engagement…" and "Your fern needs help but I left champagne and a casserole in your refrigerator."_

 _By the time dinner rolled around that night Stephen and Suzanne were almost ready to kick the 'kids' back into reality and out of their house after a mere 24 hours with them._

 _When Jonathan and Jennifer retreated to the guest bedroom, together, Stephen rolled his eyes but didn't say a word. The two changed, climbed into bed and lay on their backs looking at the ceiling._

" _I'm turning in my two week notice as soon as your interview piece is published," Jennifer finally declared._

 _Jonathan turned his head and looked at her. The blanket was pulled up, covering most of his bare chest; his hands were clasped over his stomach. "When did you make that decision?"_

" _Just now," Jennifer rolled onto her side and used her elbow and hand as a prop for her head. "You said earlier today that you weren't 'fond' of the idea of us being apart. I agree. And, I'm at a better point of leaving my job. I'll go out on a high note with your interview and I'll pick up some freelance writing opportunities once I get to California."_

" _You're sure about this?" Jonathan hesitated to turn his body toward her. He was sure this was the first of many conversations that they needed to have in order to merge their lives together. But he also wanted Jennifer to be absolutely certain about decisions that meant so much to her life._

" _Yes," she nodded her head._

" _I've been thinking," Jonathan started and had to smile at the concerned look on Jennifer's face. "You aren't just a writer, you're an author. Do you have a set publisher for your book endeavors?"_

 _Jennifer's look turned from concerned to thoughtful and curious. "I've only written one book, to this point. I can't say I struggled to find a publisher, thanks to my father's connections. But I don't have a contract with them. I'd say I'm open to suggestions."_

 _Jonathan moved a hand to his chin, rubbing his evening whiskers with his thumb and index finger. "I've got a friend, Andrew, who's a pretty top notch publisher. I met him several years ago. He's got a number of authors on best seller lists right now. Let's show him your book and some of the articles you've written and see if the two of you can come up with a project for you – if you're interested, of course."_

 _Jennifer raised her head off her hand and smiled lovingly at him. "You barely know my work. Are you sure you'd want to show him something that you've not even read yourself?"_

" _Are you proud of your work?" Jonathan finally turned toward her to watch Jennifer more closely._

 _She nodded, "Of course I am."_

" _Then so am I. I'd be proud to share your work with him. And I'm looking forward to reading it myself so I will have first-hand knowledge of it. Jennifer, I've told you, I want to know everything about you. I want to watch you work. I want to share your excitement – whether it's about a newspaper article, a chapter of your book, pictures that you take – I want to be part of your world because you will be my world."_

 _Jennifer leaned toward him for a kiss. "I'll be PART of your world."_

 _Jonathan shook his head and gazed at her. "You're already becoming my whole world. The business will get done one way or another. But I won't be happy unless you're happy."_

 _Jennifer practically blushed. She moved toward him and placed her head on his chest, letting Jonathan wrap his arm around her and rest his chin on her head._

" _With you, Jonathan Hart, I will be happy."_

 _Breakfast the next morning was harried. Jonathan had talked to Jack and Max about flight arrangements. Jonathan and Jennifer had stuffed their clothing back into the two suitcases, showered and made their way into the kitchen together._

 _Stephen lowered the coffee cup from his lips as he looked at the two of them. Jonathan pulled a chair out for Jennifer and smiled at Suzanne with a quick "Good Morning," shared._

" _So, the two of you spend a day and a half here frolicking and announcing your engagement and then off you go again? Jennifer, what kind of etiquette is that?" His slightly soured face gave testament to the fact that he wanted his little girl home for more time than this, even if she was bringing a man with her._

" _Pa," she shook her head and looked at her mother. "Jonathan has to get to the office tomorrow, I have to be back at the paper tomorrow. Otherwise, Andi is going to kill me. We both need to get settled in before jumping back into things."_

 _Stephen grunted his discontent at the idea although he knew it was coming. In his heart he was actually happy that Jennifer and Jonathan had thought enough to come visit them, talk to them, meet them. He liked the man. He would not admit it fully to either of the engaged couple, but Jonathan Hart was alright. And, Mr. Edwards had been warned – er, convinced – by his wife, to accept this next step in their daughter's life, including the man she was going to marry._

 _Suzanne watched as Walter poured coffee for both Jonathan and Jennifer and offered them each a plate for breakfast. Both smiled lovingly at Walter, thanked him and then quickly began eating. They were still paying attention to Stephen's grumblings, and yet sharing their own quiet conversation. Suzanne noted how their eyes and hands met several times and the shy grins that went along with them._

" _Are there any plans, anything we need to do…for you in the next little bit of time?" Suzanne wondered, catching a slightly confused look from her daughter. "Any…wedding plans?" she smiled._

 _Jennifer blushed and looked at her mother before catching Jonathan's eyes. "We haven't set a date yet. But I would like to have the ceremony at St. Matthew's. If that's okay?" She placed a hand on Jonathan's knowing they had talked, in passing about her ideal location, but hadn't necessarily agreed upon it._

 _Jonathan pressed his lips together and smiled. One mention of their wedding and she was glowing. The thoughts of business slipped from his mind as he again thought about making her his wife._

" _Whither thou goest…" he answered her with a bigger smile._

" _Be careful what you say there," Stephen interjected. "You'll find yourself in a tree house in Kenya if you go that route."_

 _Jonathan looked at the older man with wide eyes and then back at Jennifer. "Wherever you'd like to have our wedding is just fine with me," he changed his answer._

 _Jennifer and Suzanne threw similar looks at Stephen before turning their attention back to Jonathan._

" _I think that would be wonderful," Suzanne seemed more than pleased. "But I guess we will need a date before we can look into booking the church, or a hall for the reception."_

" _Mother," Jennifer hesitated. "I – we – don't need anything big or overly fancy. I know you'll want family there and there are a few friends that Jonathan and I will invite. But really, I just want something small."_

 _She looked toward Jonathan happily but with eyes asking for his help. "Just something small, right Darling?"_

" _And here I thought you were looking for an event to make the front page of the New York Post," he joked._

 _Jennifer rolled her eyes. "If I don't get back to work there's likely to be something about me on the front page, but it won't be a wedding announcement."_

 _All of them chuckled at that idea and then went back to the wedding thoughts._

" _Alright," Suzanne stated. "A small ceremony…we shall try," she smiled at Jennifer's warning glance. "Why don't the two of you discuss a date and then get back in touch with your father and me and we will get the ball rolling down here."_

 _Jennifer smiled and nodded._

" _Jennifer," Stephen started, "Have you already thought about your job situation? You've both said you would like to be married soon. But how will that affect your work?"_

" _Actually, we were talking about that last night," Jennifer held Jonathan's hand for support as she addressed her mother and father. "The article that I'm working on now, about Jonathan, should be edited and published within the next week. Once it's finished I'm going to give them my notice and leave the Post."_

 _Suzanne nodded, although Jennifer wasn't sure it was in full agreement. Stephen looked at Suzanne first and then at Jennifer with a concerned face._

" _I have had a couple of freelance offers. The articles they're wanting could be done no matter where I'm living," Jennifer continued. "And, I can also work on another book project or two that I have in mind."_

 _Jonathan squeezed her hand. "Stephen, I know you played a big role in Jennifer's first book being published. I hope I can help with her next one. I have a publisher friend. I believe he will be more than happy to add Jennifer Edwards' name to his list of authors."_

 _Stephen took a deep breath. He didn't mind Jennifer leaving her job. He was content that Jonathan was already looking out for her. The thought that did bother him was simply that he would no longer be the #1 man in his daughter's life._

" _So, you're planning to move to California before the wedding?" He asked with as little malice as he could muster._

 _Jonathan felt another squeeze from Jennifer's hand as she looked at her father. "Possibly," she answered quietly. "The wedding will be here. I'm sure I'll be here – WE will be here – to work on the arrangements. But we need to find a house and…just…be together," she admitted with a little sadness and reddened cheeks._

 _Suzanne looked at Stephen with a wifely love. "Sweetheart, you still have me here with you. And Walter," she added._

 _Stephen shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Walter will likely leave me to go with these two," he pouted._

 _Everyone laughed at the thought, easing the mood in the room._

 _Walter stepped toward the table, looking at Jennifer with a twinkle in his eye. "Is that an option?"_

" _I'm liking this dual-coast office set up," Jennifer declared as she slid into the back seat of the limo. Jonathan smiled as he slid in beside her leaving no room between them._

 _With a few instructions for Max and Jack they had parted ways at the airport, sending their friends back to the West Coast while Jennifer and Jonathan began their New York adventure._

" _See, there are a few perks," he smiled, leaned over and kissed her lips. "Now, though, there's something about you I need to know right away."_

" _What's that?" She looked at him seriously._

" _We can't go anywhere without your address," Jonathan grinned._

 _Jennifer smiled at him. "Did I neglect to give that to you?" She smiled wider and leaned in to press her lips against his. "I thought it'd be a good idea to keep that to myself just in case something didn't work out…"_

 _He chuckled, "That's funny…that's very funny," he cocked his eyebrows at her. "Did you decide this before or after I proposed to you?"_

" _Hmmm," she thought jokingly, "After. I was waiting to see how my parents reacted to you. If that hadn't gone well I would've just stayed with them and sent you flying off on your private jet."_

" _I would've flown to New York and been waiting on your doorstep. You know, I have resources. IF I had actually left you in Maryland, I would've found you in New York." Jonathan nuzzled his nose against hers._

" _And yet, you weren't willing to use those resources while we were in London? Instead you used 'other' resources to hang a proposal on the Tower Bridge?" She wondered with bright playful eyes._

" _It seemed the lesser of two evils at the time," his sexy smirk, just millimeters from her lips, made her smile widen before he captured them in another heated liplock._

 _Jonathan leaned against her, pressing Jennifer against the leather seat as his hands began to wander._

 _A beeping from the intercom stalled his actions just enough to make them giggle. He rested his forehead against hers as he reached toward the blinking button._

" _Yes?"_

" _Are we headed back to your office, Mr. Hart?" The driver inquired making Jonathan realize they were still parked at the curb of the airport._

 _He looked at Jennifer._

" _170 Amsterdam Avenue," she relinquished._

" _Upper West Side?" Their driver confirmed as Jennifer agreed._

 _They felt the car move and settled in for the ride with another, more controlled kiss._

" _I was just going to have Andi pick us up, but this is a much smoother ride," Jennifer commented._

 _Jonathan admired her eyes. "I'm not sure I'm ready to meet Andi yet. She's probably not happy with me since I duped her into covering for you. Am I on her bad list?"_

 _Jennifer used her thumb to wipe across his bottom lip. "I doubt it. She thinks you're pretty hot and sexy. Even without meeting you she's convinced you're a good looking gentleman. The only reason she wouldn't like you is if you did something to hurt me."_

" _I thought we left your father in Maryland," Jonathan joked._

" _Come to think of it, she does apparently have good communication with him. Maybe he planted her here as a spy." Jennifer raised her eyebrows in thought._

" _Is your apartment bugged?" He wondered._

" _What if it is?" Jennifer lowered her voice, acting as though their conversation was being heard._

 _Jonathan placed a lingering kiss on her cheek before starting his route toward her ear, down her neck to her pulse point. He stopped there, running his tongue over the sensitive skin, sucking on it until she took in a breath and held it._

" _Then we should give her a show to remember before you go to work in the morning," Jonathan continued kissing the same spot, making sure to leave his mark where Andi and anyone else in the world could see it._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 20 - Two Harts**


	21. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 21

_**Two Harts – Missing Parts**_

 _ **Chapter 21**_

* * *

 _ **Hi Reading Friends!**_

 _ **Just fyi... this chapter is one that I consider M/X for mature content. If you aren't a fan of pretty explicit adult scenes, you could skip this chapter and sum it up with Jonathan asks Jennifer to wear the red negligee, she obliges, and they partake of each other. ;)  
**_

 _ **I again have to say, 'Thanks' for reading! And please don't hesitate to leave your comments and reviews - or p.m. them to me. I really do feed off of your thoughts and love to know what you think of the story.**_

 _ **Happy reading!  
adcgordon  
#RediscoveringH2H  
**_

* * *

 _Jennifer unlocked the door to her one bedroom apartment. She imagined Jonathan might snicker at the small size of the place considering his wealth and the way of life he was accustomed to – based on the time she had spent with him in London._

 _Instead he turned the doorknob for her and followed her inside as though they were coming home together._

 _She was happy to see her trunk and other luggage had actually made it back from London and was sitting in her living room. Jonathan noticed the luggage too as he looked around at the compact but comfortable area. He pulled their two suitcases through the door and parked them next to the other bags for the moment._

" _Make yourself at home," Jennifer smiled without looking at him, suddenly nervous about bringing him in so anxiously. "There isn't much to it –" she mentioned as she headed toward the kitchen to peek into the refrigerator._

" _Jennifer?" Jonathan twisted the ring on his pinky finger as he watched her._

" _Hmmm?" She wasn't ignoring him but opted to turn her focus toward something else._

" _Can I use your bathroom?" He wondered honestly, bringing her attention back to him._

 _Jennifer smiled. "Sorry, just realizing that life as a single woman in New York is likely much different than your bachelor life in Los Angeles."_

" _Don't," Jonathan instructed gently. "I think you have a wonderful place here. It's exactly what you've needed…until now. But…I really do need to use the bathroom," he grinned._

 _Jennifer rolled her eyes. She pointed at a closed door right off the living area._

 _Jonathan stepped toward her and placed a kiss on her lips. "I don't care if we're in a hotel in London, your childhood home in Maryland, an apartment in New York or Los Angeles…or even a tree house in Kenya. As long as I'm with you, that's all that matters to me."_

 _Jennifer felt the electric chill run down her spine as he kissed her again and began to walk away. "Thank you," she stared at his back until he turned and looked over his shoulder. "I love you," she bit on her bottom lip and smiled._

 _Jonathan noticed the second door in the bathroom and guessed correctly that it led into the single bedroom. So he washed his hands and ventured through the other door._

 _He noticed the simple decorations she had used to make this space her home. The full sized bed made him warm inside, thinking already of sharing it with her. He could feel Jennifer's latest round of nerves and knew it was because of him being here. Jonathan certainly didn't want her to be nervous. He wanted to make her happy, wherever they were._

 _He sighed happily. He didn't want to admit that he was nervous as well but was just better at hiding it than she was. With a deep breath and an idea of how he wanted to spend this night he made his way back to the living room._

 _Jennifer was shuffling through the cabinets and staring into what appeared to be empty areas._

" _Hungry?" Jonathan stood beside her and looked at the open space over the stove._

 _She opened the refrigerator and pointed. "Andi left exactly what she said, champagne and a casserole. No fruit, no veggies, no bottled water… champagne and a casserole."_

 _Jonathan bent and peeked at the options. He looked at Jennifer's bewildered face and grinned. "Is it oyster casserole?"_

 _Jennifer laughed, a welcome sound to Jonathan's ears. "Knowing Andi, it probably is," she stood and placed her hands on her hips. Although, you don't need any help in that area now do you?" She turned and stood toe to toe with him._

" _Now? With you?" Jonathan looked into her eyes and smiled so she could recognize the mischievous, boyish curiosity shining through. "Nope," he said the word slowly and then kissed her easily._

 _Jennifer sighed as they pulled apart. "Don't you have work to do, Mister?" she reminded him with slight remorse._

" _Yes," he pouted begrudgingly. "I need to make some phone calls and make sure things are in order for a conference call and meeting that I have to be part of tomorrow." He looked at her as a businessman whose vacation was coming to an end._

" _Why don't you work on that," she pointed toward a small desk with a phone, typewriter, paper and pens in the corner. "Use whatever you need to. Call whomever you need to." Jennifer took a deep breath and transformed back into the assured woman who knew what she wanted and what she needed to do. "I'm going to the market. Is there anything in particular you want me to get?"_

 _Jonathan shook his head. "I'm fine with what Andi left us," he grinned widely making Jennifer shake her head._

" _Don't eat without me," Jennifer warned him. "I'll be back in an hour or so."_

 _Jonathan nodded. "You trust me here, by myself?"_

 _Jennifer stepped over to give him a kiss. She put a hand on his chest and ran a finger through the hairs showing above the buttoned closures. "I trust you wherever you are, Mr. H." She grabbed her purse and keys as she headed out the door. "By the way… if any men happen to call while I'm out…you may want to let them know that you've staked your claim and I'm off the market."_

 _Before Jonathan could do anything more than drop his mouth to the floor, she closed the door and left him to conduct his business._

" _I picked up some milk, eggs, cereal, cold cuts, water, and chicken and pasta. Hopefully that'll at least hold us till tomorrow night. Does that sound okay to you?"_

 _Jennifer walked back into her apartment to see Jonathan looking over a notepad, tapping a pen on the paper as though he was studying it carefully._

 _He looked up as she walked in and smiled at her. "Sounds perfect. As long as you've got coffee for us in the morning that's really all I'll need. I can pick up something on the way to the office if needed."_

 _He put the pen on the pad and got up to help her with the bags. Jennifer accepted a quick kiss from him and felt excited that he was willing to help put groceries away. That bode well for future reference in her mind._

" _By the way, I've got Mike coming by with the limo to take me in tomorrow morning. Do you want a ride to the paper?"_

 _Jennifer looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Do you know how much badgering I would get if I strolled out of a limo?"_

" _Then I guess I'll have to go in with you to fend off all the heckling," Jonathan put his arms around her neck and pulled her toward him._

 _Jennifer thought for a moment. "Actually, that doesn't sound too bad," she nibbled on her bottom lip, kissed him quickly and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm chauffeured to work in a limo and then my sexy, millionaire fiancé walks me up to my desk. You could wrap your arms around me, just like this and then kiss me senseless before heading to your office."_

 _Jonathan pressed his lips together as he seemed to accept what she was saying. "Hmmm," he thought out loud, "Then we'd better start practicing that kiss right now to make sure we've got it just...right…" He bent down to her lips and began the work that she had just described._

" _Darling," Jennifer spoke breathlessly - which, she noted in her mind, was becoming a common occurrence for her...thanks to him. "We're in the kitchen. Perhaps we should practice this over at the desk," she suggested teasingly, "Or maybe somewhere more comfortable, like the couch?"_

 _Jonathan wasn't quick to give up his work. 'Determined' was the word that entered Jennifer's mind about him as his tongue pushed through her soft lip barrier and began his quest to take over her senses._

" _Jonathan," she whispered quickly before loosening her hold on his back. "At least let me put Andi's casserole in the oven so we can have dinner in a little while." She moved her hands to his chest and pushed him away ever so gently. "At least one of us might need a little sustenance…" she gave into another kiss as Jonathan smiled at her use of Max's word._

 _Finally Jonathan released his grip on her. He hopped up onto the empty counter and watched as she pulled the casserole from the refrigerator, read the instructions her friend had so kindly included, set the oven temperature and then slid the dish onto the middle oven rack._

" _Now," Jennifer turned back to him and gladly slid herself between his legs as Jonathan draped his arms over her shoulders once more. "Where were we?" she asked with a content smile._

 _Jennifer had flashed back to the first night they spent together. Except this time they were on the couch in her apartment with fewer remnants of clothes on either of their bodies._

 _Her hands were firmly planted to his buttocks, his mouth likely would require surgery to remove it from her breast, and the feel of his exposed length against her upper thigh was making her squirm, trying to force him between her legs. Although, she somehow realized, that part of her body was still covered._

" _Damn it," she tried to shift her weight, wanting to feel him against her sensitive folds._

" _Now, now," Jonathan barely moved his lips from her nipple, his breath sending a cold spark against the wetness that he was leaving around the darkened peak._

 _Both of them breathed in deeply, Jonathan not giving in to her wishes._

" _Jonathan," her sultry voice was soft and almost gravelly. He paid no attention, his tongue circling her areola, intent on taking her to an edge._

" _Jonathan," she spoke his name with more force. "Jonathan," she said again, followed by, "Do you smell something burning?"_

" _It's just friction," he mumbled before moving to her other breast._

 _Jennifer tried to sit up, now trying to follow the scent that had caught her attention. "No, there's smoke. Jonathan, stop! Something is burning."_

 _She pushed against him until he, too, sat up and scrunched his nose. "It's coming from the kitchen," he offered before seeing the smoke seeping from around the oven door. "Uh oh…"_

 _Jennifer saw it too and quickly jumped off the couch not caring that she was less than half dressed._

" _Oh! No…" Jennifer whined. "Damn." She walked to the stove, turned it off and leaned her hip against the cabinet, trying to wait for the heat to reduce enough to open the door and inspect the damage._

 _Jonathan saw her cross her arms across her chest. It wasn't an attempt to cover her nakedness. As he came back to his senses he realized she was embarrassed and somewhat upset about the mishap._

 _He refastened his clothes as quickly as he could and started making his way toward her. "Darling, it's ok," he used the most soothing voice possible. "Let's just order Chinese," he shrugged his shoulders._

 _Jennifer wouldn't look at him. Her eyes stayed on the oven until she pulled open the door just a fraction of an inch. More smoke escaped. She waved it away from the smoke alarm praying the electric sensor wouldn't start chirping._

 _When she finally did look at Jonathan he could see a hint of tears in her eyes._

" _Jennifer?" he stepped in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "Sweetheart, it's just a casserole. We forgot to set the timer. It's not your fault. Besides, I'd much rather enjoy you than food, right now, couldn't you tell?"_

 _Jennifer pushed a sarcastic laugh through her nose. She pulled her top around her and started adjusting the other little bit of clothing she could find. "I guess I should tell you something else about me."_

 _Jonathan continued holding her. "What's that?"_

" _Cooking isn't one of my strong points. Matter of fact, I wouldn't put it in my top 25...or even my top 40 lists," Jennifer stayed stiff in his arms as she admitted this particular flaw._

 _Jonathan took just a second before he pushed her to his arms' length. "I don't recall asking for your resume. I'm really only concerned with, oh, let's say your top five skills. And, we were in the middle of...is that number one on your list?" He pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward the couch. "Besides, good news for both of us, Max enjoys cooking and he's really pretty good at it."_

 _Jennifer pouted. "So you're telling me that you don't mind my inability to cook?"_

 _Jonathan breathed in and out a few times as his eyes wandered over her body. Jennifer looked at him skeptically, wondering exactly what was going through his mind._

 _Then he took her by the hand, led her from the kitchen to the bedroom and stopped just inside the door. He had pulled their two suitcases into the room and had already found the one particular item that he was interested in seeing, on her, that night._

" _You don't give yourself enough credit, My Darling," he whispered somewhat emotionally. "In my opinion, you have an insane ability to 'cook'." He took a second to twirl the ends of her already mussed hair around his fingers. He placed his hand on her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. "The kitchen just isn't the room where you … do your best work," his voice cracked slightly._

 _Jennifer rolled her eyes at his attempt to cheer her up._

 _Jonathan pointed toward the bed where the red, lacy material was lying. "The only thing I want to heat up right now is me, and you," he moved his finger back and forth between them. "You promised me you would wear this for me when we got to New York. If you'll put that on, I promise I'll take your mind off the casserole...no oysters needed."_

 _He smiled and nuzzled against her neck. "I want every inch of you, Jennifer."_

 _She forgot the burned dinner, the smoke filled kitchen and the thought that she was hungry… for food. She shuddered as she let his voice and his words soak into her being. All she had to do was put on the sexy lingerie sitting in front of them and he would give her another unforgettable night._

 _Seemed like an amazing deal to her._

" _Give me a minute to change?"_

 _Jonathan groaned against her neck. "I'll be waiting right here."_

 _He leaned against the door frame, listening for any sound she might make. He heard rustling, a sigh, her movement in the room._

" _Jonathan?" she asked through the closed door._

" _Hmmm?" he wanted her to know he was still waiting._

" _Are you right there?"_

" _Mmm-hmmm," he answered. "Do you need a hand with something?"_

 _Jennifer chuckled quietly. "No, not until I need to get out of this thing," she only half joked. "Go, um, go sit on the bed, okay?"_

 _Trying not to be overly eager Jonathan agreed simply. He made his way to the somewhat small bed and looked back at himself in the dresser mirror. She was coming out of that bathroom in an outfit that already had Jon Junior pulling the strings. He was still in his khakis. Shirtless, but certainly not ready to accept the beauty he was expecting to see._

 _So, he slid out of his pants, folded them and put them on the floor at the side of the bed. Boxer shorts - she was used to seeing him in these. Jonathan took a moment to turn down the bed and thought about something that had come up during his phone calls for work._

 _He would have to fly back to California in just two days, without her. He knew he wanted to make this a special night for both of them, worshipping her body to the best of his ability in order for both of them to remember while they were apart._

 _Jennifer opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom quietly. She wasn't sure where to put her hands so she dropped them to her sides and then watched him look at her._

 _The red lace was taut on her body. It was more of a body suit with a wrap over her arms. Jonathan was entranced. While the skimpy material covered her most private parts it left little to the imagination._

 _His eyes wandered, up and down her body._

" _What d'ya think?" She asked without smiling._

 _His eyes met hers, beckoning her to come closer to him._

 _She stood at the foot of the bed, one knee bent, showing off her shapely legs. Although it was easy to tell Jonathan's focus was farther up her body._

" _I like it," he finally said, reaching a hand out toward her. "Don't be shy, please?"_

 _She stepped toward him and watched the desire grow in his blue eyes. They became darker as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her body between his knees._

" _I want you, Jennifer. You are so sexy," he whispered. He nestled his face between her breasts and nudged at the lace with his nose. Jonathan's lips moved to her nipple, already hardened by the thin material rubbing across it. He licked the tip, and wrapped his lips around it, sucking her softly._

 _Jennifer watched him. She placed her hands on his cheeks as her mouth dropped open, enjoying his actions._

" _I'm going to take every inch of you," he declared softly. "I want to taste you and show you exactly how much I adore you."_

 _With that he stood in front of her and began kissing her skin. He started with her forehead, her temples and her cheeks before slowly placing his mouth on hers and parting her lips to let their tongues dance._

 _As they kissed his hands continued exciting her. His fingertips traveled from her ears to her neck pressing on the exact spot where he had left his mark earlier. He could feel her blood coursing through the pulse and knew the purple'ish mark was there. He took pride in that but wanted to leave her reminders on other parts of her body as well._

 _He massaged her shoulders and biceps when his lips began trailing behind his hands, kissing, and arousing her every nerve._

 _Jennifer expected him to stop again at her breasts when he encountered them. Instead at that point he turned her to the bed and eased her down onto the mattress. He watched her while he climbed onto her thighs knowing the tip of his hardness was already pressing to escape._

 _Jennifer licked her lips and tried to reach for him until Jonathan shook his head. Without a word he found the clips on the shoulders of the tight material and hastily undid them. He pulled the lace down her body as she arched her back underneath him._

 _As he exposed her breasts he kissed them ever so quickly but then continued farther down, placing slow, languorous touches across her abdomen._

 _In his erotic travels he noted a scar, right around her bikini line and was reminded of her accident. He kissed it, pressing his lips firmly against the layered tissue, wishing to let Jennifer know that he loved every part of her._

 _When he dipped his tongue into her belly button he felt her shiver and heard her slight squeal. Her fingers went to his hair to keep him from repeating the ticklish gesture so he instead used his lips to suck on the rim of her navel._

 _He smiled to himself, pleased that he had learned another ticklish tease about this remarkable woman._

 _Jennifer was slightly surprised when he stopped pulling at the lace, leaving it crumpled at her waist. She placed her hands behind her head to watch as Jonathan moved himself off her body._

 _He stood at the side of the bed, admiring her, touching her upper body again with feathery light fingertips. Jonathan was immensely pleased when she moaned and moved her body wanting more contact with him._

 _He trailed those same teasing touches down her thighs, over her shins and the tops of her feet before using just the tip of his middle finger to trace a line along the inside of her thighs._

 _Before touching the snaps that would reveal her most intimate area to him he stalled, meeting her eyes with his. "I want," he felt suddenly nervous as he looked into her face. He swallowed to wet his throat and then looked back at his fingers as he hooked the tip of his index finger under the soft, stretchy edge of the garment near the snapped closure._

" _I want to taste you, Jennifer," he looked back at her eyes and pressed his lips together. "Will you let me?"_

 _His fingers tugged at the material between her legs, moist already from his foreplay._

 _All she could do was nod in agreement before he opened the fasteners and pulled the material upward, exposing her tuft of hair and the heated lips that he had experienced with his fingers and erections. Now he wanted her in another fashion._

 _Jonathan knelt between her legs and knew Jennifer was curious at his intentions. But when she asked about removing his last layer of clothing he could only shake his head. She didn't push that issue. To her pleasure she could see that he had already grown enough to nearly push himself out of the cotton underwear._

 _He met her eyes once more and moved his sight down her body until he placed his hands on her hips, using his thumbs to press the tender skin around her pubic hair. Jonathan spread her legs and lay himself down between them. Jennifer watched his eyes close and then felt his tongue as he began to lavish her folds._

 _Jonathan was pleased when he heard her moan at his first light lick. The gesture made him more confident, urging him to push his mouth more firmly against her. He felt her slick juices meeting his lips and used his tongue to spread them around her heat._

" _Jon-" her breath was heavy as she tried to call his name. She raised her knees, wanting him more and more with every tantalizing movement he made. "Jonathan!" she nearly screamed when his tongue slid over her nub of nerves that was already pulsing and wanting to explode._

 _Jonathan wrapped his arms around her thighs, holding her strong legs, not ready for her to lose control just yet. He lapped at her wetness, knowing she wanted him to grant her release. Her hips moved up and down, begging him to help her finish._

 _And so he pressed the tip of his nose to the edge of her opening, and followed that with his lips sucking on that most intimate, sensitive exposure. With one last touch from his tongue he felt her come undone and was overcome by her orgasm._

 _His name came loudly from her lips, her body shook as she moaned. And although he wasn't quite expecting it, he fully enjoyed the strength of her legs, wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him into her as she lost all sense of control._

 _When her muscles went limp Jonathan listened for just a moment to her labored breathing. He retracted himself from her limbs and slid off the bed._

" _Jonathan," she whispered quickly, gasping for the breath to call his name. "Wh-where?"_

" _Shhh," he urged her to rest for a moment. "I'll be right back," he assured her._

 _Jennifer lay still knowing she couldn't have moved or stopped him from doing anything at that very moment._

 _Jonathan stepped to the sink in the bathroom and rinsed off his face and hands. To say he was pleased with himself was an understatement. But to know he had given her such pleasure made his heart race._

 _It also made it uncomfortable for him to walk but he hoped that might be taken care of when his love regained some energy._

 _He quickly made his way back to the bed and climbed in beside her. Jennifer found her way into his arms and found her breath once more as her entire body began to come down from the high._

" _Where did you learn…" she started to ask although she really wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer._

 _Jonathan kissed the top of her head. "Beginner's luck," he stated, to which she shook her head._

" _I don't believe that."_

 _He kissed her again and then used his fingers to raise her chin to look at him face to face. "Lying to you gains me nothing," he lowered his head to place a soft kiss on her lips. He shook his head as he reiterated, "I've...kissed a woman or two...there...before but only at their request and never have I done THAT to another woman."_

 _Jennifer raised a hand to his cheek, a look of glowing bliss on her face. "I believe you," she ran her thumb across his cheekbone, "but I still find that hard to believe. Although…" she ducked her head before admitting, "that was the first time a man has ever...pleased me...that way."_

 _She looked back into her lover's eyes, both of them sharing the moment of intimacy and pure pleasure. But in the next moment Jennifer truly thought about her 'lover'._

" _Jonathan?" she placed a hand on his chest and raised herself above him. "Did you?" she pressed her lips together. "When you went into the bathroom...did you?"_

 _After a second he realized her thought. He took her hand that was on his chest and slowly slid it down to the bulge that remained in his boxers._

" _No," he answered quietly._

" _Good," Jennifer stated and slowly sat up in the bed._

" _Darling," Jonathan shook his head. "You don't have to…"_

" _Jonathan," she stopped him with a finger on his lips. "As wonderful as you just made me feel, part of that was knowing how you feel, inside of me. I know I don't have to give you that pleasure...but I want to."_

 _Jennifer hooked her fingers into his waistband and delicately maneuvered the cotton material off his body. She started to place her hand around his engorged shaft but Jonathan stopped her._

" _One touch, one...kiss, will make me…" he stopped with a deep breath._

 _"Good," Jennifer rested her hand on his waist, just above his tip. "Because I'm not sure how much more I can take right now."_

 _She smiled and bit gently on her tongue as she concentrated on climbing on top of his body and straddling him. She lowered herself against his enlarged phallus, sliding along his length to assure herself a slick barrier. Then she slowly positioned herself at his tip and rocked her hips until his thickness stretched her._

 _Jonathan grasped her hips knowing he wouldn't last long as her hot muscles wrapped around him._

 _She let him guide their strokes and marveled as his ridge hit her spot almost immediately, sending her into oblivion once more just as he cried out her name and followed her over that pleasurable peak._

 _Neither was quite sure, hours later, if they had found the strength to clean themselves up following their intense lovemaking that night. But both swore by the power of the red lingerie which remained around Jennifer's waist until Jonathan took it off her sleeping body the next morning._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 21 - Two Harts**


	22. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 22

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 22**

" _Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered against her ear as he leaned over the bed with a plate of food in hand._

" _Hmmm?" Jennifer moved her body, arched her back and stretched her arms above her head. She reached for him, hoping to find her arms, somehow, around his neck without opening her eyes._

 _Jonathan chuckled quietly. "Breakfast, Darling," he smiled and watched her blink, lazily, until her eyes focused on him._

" _You made breakfast?" Jennifer asked sleepily and began to sit up against the pillows._

 _The covers fell lower on her chest reminding her that she wasn't clothed. "Oh, oops," she blushed as her breasts came into view and she quickly grabbed for the sheet and secured it around her._

" _I don't mind," Jonathan smiled at her._

 _She noticed his gaze that was soaking in her entire self. He had a pair of pajama pants on and a robe wrapped around himself._

" _I'm going to jump in the shower, unless you need to first?" Jonathan asked, bringing a slight pout from her beautiful face. "Now what's that about?"_

" _I don't wanna go back to work," she sighed._

 _Jonathan raised his eyebrows and added a pleased smile to his face. "You say the word, Beautiful Lady, and we can make that happen!" He sounded truly excited about the prospect although both of them knew she wouldn't follow through._

 _Jennifer looked at him seriously. "You know I'd love to do that, don't you? But I can't, yet. It wouldn't be right."_

 _Jonathan closed his eyes and nodded. He sighed as well. "I know. That's not how Jennifer Edwards – or any good employee – would handle this situation."_

 _They looked at each other silently for a moment as Jonathan helped her situate the plate of scrambled eggs, toast and a cup of coffee._

" _Along those same lines," he pressed his lips together not wanting to share the rest of his thought._

" _What?" Jennifer asked as she sipped her coffee._

 _Jonathan sucked in a long breath and let it out to make the moment even longer. "I have to get back to L.A. tomorrow."_

 _Jennifer lowered the cup to her lap but kept her eyes glued to his. "Oh," she watched as his eyes dropped from hers to the waves in the comforter._

 _He reached a finger toward her hands and traced her knuckles. When her grip tightened on the cup he looked back at her as though he had committed some sort of crime._

" _Yesterday afternoon, when I was talking to Harry … there are some business bigwigs coming in from Japan. I need to be there. He's bought me this long. I've gotta get back at it as well."_

 _Jennifer nodded._

" _I'm sorry," Jonathan added. "I… I've thought about this ever since I finished my work yesterday and all night long."_

 _Jennifer raised her eyebrows. "You were thinking about THIS while you were doing those unspeakably amazing things to me?" She shook her head in true wonder. "I knew you were a multi-tasker, Jonathan, but really?" She tried to tease him to lighten the mood._

 _He smiled at her and rolled his eyes. "I did those unspeakably amazing things to you last night BECAUSE I knew I was going to have to leave you and I wanted to make sure you'd remember me."_

" _Jonathan Hart!" She moved the food onto the bedside table realizing she was going to have to tend to him like a dissatisfied child._

 _He shrugged his shoulders as she moved closer to him, making sure to keep the robe and bedding between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her forehead against his._

" _You're making this sound like the end. No, I don't want you to leave, but we're only talking a matter of days or weeks. If you think you're going to fly off to the West Coast and forget about me – your fiancée – you'd better rethink your plans!"_

 _Jonathan smiled narrowly. "I'm just going to miss you. Can I help that?"_

 _Jennifer smiled and bit on her bottom lip. "I'll miss you, too, you know that. But I love you and that's not going to change. As soon as I can finish the article and give all the notices to the paper and my apartment, here, I'm coming to California. And believe me, I will be in a hurry to do that."_

 _Jonathan wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her closer. "I can do all that for you today and you'll fly back with me tomorrow."_

" _You're going to write an article about yourself? That's a little precocious, don't you think?" Jennifer wondered as she placed a soft kiss against his lips._

" _Don't care," the little boy in him was coming out, truly wanting her to give in and return to California with him; not days or weeks down the road._

" _Darling, let's be adults about this, ok? It took us decades to find each other. I'm not letting you go that easily," Jennifer shared seriously. "I'm going to call you every free chance I get. Your secretary will have so many messages from me that she will be sick of me before we even meet." She kissed the tip of his nose and then leaned back in his embrace._

" _And if she even mentions another woman coming to see you for non-business reasons I will charter the Concord and be on your doorstep before Max can finish his cigar."_

 _Jonathan laughed. "Is that all it'll take?"_

" _Hey, no making up stories. I promise I will wrap things up in New York just as soon as I can. I don't want to miss a minute with you."_

 _The two shared a loving smile, a hug and a lingering kiss. When Jonathan released his hold on her Jennifer placed her palm on his cheek. "Are you okay?"_

 _Jonathan nodded. "I'm a little better now. I just know I'm not going to sleep at all without you in bed with me. I think you've spoiled me."_

 _Jennifer patted her hand against his cheek. "Don't you forget it, Mister."_

 _He grinned widely and accepted another kiss from her._

" _Go, shower," she instructed him. "I need to find out if your cooking is better than mine."_

 _Jonathan shook his head and looked at her as he slid off the bed. "Forget that," he quirked his index finger at her. "Come cook with me in the shower," he wiggled his eyebrows in her direction._

 _Jennifer rolled her eyes at him. "We both know that would be counter-productive, don't we? The minute I join you in the shower we can count on the entire day being shot and angry calls from Andi and Harry both." She sighed heavily. "As much as I would prefer the shared shower, I think we'd better get to work."_

 _Jonathan playfully drooped his shoulders showing her his slight disappointment._

" _You're still giving me a limo ride to work, aren't you?" she urged._

 _Jonathan smiled and nodded. "And I'm walking you to your desk."_

 _Jennifer returned his smile, "Okay," she wasn't about to disagree. "Dinner tonight?"_

 _He nodded at her with a look that told her he already had plans in mind._

" _Count on it," he nodded once, firmly. "We may have to work today, but tonight you're all mine."_

 _Jennifer sucked in a breath. She didn't want to think about time away from him. She felt her heartbeat speed up and realized, yet again, that he had stolen her heart._

" _Jonathan," she waited for him to look back at her. "I love you."_

 _He looked at her once more, taking in her complete sincerity and mirroring her feelings. "And I love you, too."_

 _Their eyes locked again, not wanting to look away until Jennifer shivered. Neither had ever realized that a love so deep could send a shockwave through the body with a simple look._

 _Jonathan adjusted his tie and squeezed Jennifer's hand a little tighter as the black, stretch limo pulled to the curb in front of a building well-marked "New York Post". He felt her suck in a breath and her hand holding to his tightly._

" _Should I wait here, Mr. Hart?" The driver kindly asked from the front seat._

 _Jonathan nodded, letting him see the reflection in the rearview mirror._

" _Ready?" He looked at his love with her hair back in the tight up-do that reminded him of their first meetings._

 _Jennifer nodded without looking at him._

" _Hey, Louise," Jonathan tried to grab her attention._

 _Jennifer turned and looked at him with wide eyes until she saw the smirk on her face._

" _Sorry," Jonathan grinned, "Your hair reminded me of someone I met in London a couple of weeks ago."_

 _Jennifer tossed him an irked glance and then blew a breath out through her nose. "I think I'm more nervous about taking you in here to meet Andi than taking you to meet Mother and Pa," she admitted._

" _Do I need to ask Andi's permission to marry you as well?"_

 _Jennifer smiled at his sarcasm. "No, of course not. But she's going to ask questions. She's a reporter, too, you know. She's going to grill you…and me…" Jennifer sat back against the seat tightly, thinking about the Andi inquisition._

 _Jonathan tugged on her hand. "Hey, I'm a very capable mediator. I think I can convince her that this merger," he took a moment to point back and forth between them, "is in your best interest…and mine. Just give me a conference room with comfortable chairs and she'll be putty in my hands."_

 _Jennifer glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before turning her head and raising her eyebrows. "Putty?" She snickered at the thought._

" _Just like you are," Jonathan added._

 _Jennifer tilted her head away from him at that line and pressed her lips together._

" _Really? Putty?" Her eyes squinted in thought and consideration._

" _Mmm-hmmm," Jonathan added before he leaned toward her and placed a kiss against her lips._

 _He was quite happy that she didn't shy away from kissing him, nor did she pull away from the kiss._

" _Jon-than," she worked to say his name against his lips. "You're messing up my lipstick."_

" _See," he pulled away only slightly, "putty."_

" _That's not putty," Jennifer pushed against his chest until he sat back and she could dab at her lips with the tips of her fingers. "That's just pushy," she looked at his boyishly charming face. Then she pointed a finger at him. "And don't you dare try to use that move on Andi. You attempt to kiss her and I'll MAKE you putty and stick you right to the floor by my desk."_

 _Jonathan laughed. "Well, that'd be one way to keep me here."_

 _Jennifer shook her head and felt slightly embarrassed when she realized Jonathan's driver was enjoying their little lovers' show._

 _She pointed at Jonathan's door which would open to the curb. "Go," she motioned her head toward the outside."_

 _The driver quickly exited his seat and made it to the back before Jonathan could open the door for himself._

" _Sorry about that Mr. Hart," the younger man apologized._

 _Jonathan looked up at him and smiled. "No problem, Mike. I get a little lost with her around."_

 _He climbed out of the seat and held his hand out to Jennifer who was eyeing him with a look of slight irritation._

" _You get LOST with me around?"_

" _I meant it as a compliment, Darling, I promise."_

 _Jennifer accepted his explanation and looked at Mike. "Good thing you're driving. I wouldn't want him LOST in the city."_

 _Mike had to laugh. He had driven Mr. Hart to various meetings and locations on several occasions. Usually the older businessman was quiet in the back seat, having a drink, thumbing through a newspaper or magazine. On a few occasions he had been joined by a business cohort or a friend. But never had he seemed truly relaxed. Not that he had ever been rude or unfriendly. But on this particular occasion Mike saw Jonathan Hart, the man, not the business owner. It was a nice change of pace._

" _I'll wait here for you, Mr. Hart," Mike added as Jennifer patted him on the shoulder._

" _If I'm not back in an hour, send a search party, please," Jonathan joked._

 _Again Mike laughed. "Will you need a ride later today Miss Edwards?" he wondered with a bit of hope._

 _Jennifer shook her head. "Probably not today, Mike, but I'm sure we'll be seeing each other on future New York visits."_

 _Jonathan smiled at that thought and shared a handshake with their driver._

" _I don't think we told you, Mike, Jennifer is my fiancée." Jonathan beamed._

 _Mike returned his smile. "Congratulations to you both! If you don't mind me saying, you seem to make a wonderful couple."_

 _Jonathan and Jennifer looked at each other eye to eye. Their petty, fun banter was put aside as they accepted Mike's comment._

" _Yeah," Jonathan agreed, "we do."_

" _So, here it is," Jennifer motioned toward the desk at the back of the newsroom. A stack of pink message slips sat at the side of a typewriter next to a multi-line phone. Reference books and phone books took up much of the space._

 _Jonathan pursed his lips as he followed her through a row of desks that looked much like hers. He nodded, "I'm impressed," he commented._

 _Jennifer laughed. "Impressed?" She wondered._

" _Yeah, I've never been in a newspaper newsroom before. Looks like what I pictured. But look at you, the desk at the back of the class, near the editor's office. Is that because you spend a lot of time with your editor, or because you want first dibs on the best stories?"_

" _Ha, ha," her deadpan sarcasm made him smile._

" _Did I hear – " a female voice rose over the sound of ringing phones and clacking typewriters. "Jennifer Edwards, thank God, you are still alive and have returned from the dank gloom of London-town!"_

 _Jennifer's back was turned to the smaller woman whose blond streaks and horn-rimmed glasses screamed 'I-live-for-my-work-but-don't-want-to-look-like-it!'_

 _Jennifer's eyes widened and she looked at Jonathan._

" _Andi?" he questioned correctly._

" _Andi," Jennifer nodded as a warning._

" _And this would be…." Andi approached them and stopped at their side waiting for a formal introduction._

 _Jennifer breathed in and smiled at her dear friend. "Andi Prescott, this is Jonathan Hart. Jonathan, this is Andi."_

 _Andi held out her hand and Jonathan took it immediately. He shook her hand lightly before pulling it to his lips and giving her a kiss on her knuckles and winking at her._

" _Ah – Oh!" Andi responded and then stood there looking at him as Jonathan released his hold._

" _Mis – Mister Hart," she had yet to blink following the first encounter, "It's very nice to, uh, to… um, to meet you, I mean."_

" _Why Andi," Jennifer placed a hand on her friend's bicep. "I believe you're blushing AND you're at a loss for words. I think I should mark this on the calendar."_

 _Andi continued staring at Jonathan._

" _It's nice to meet you, too, Andi," Jonathan smiled his million-dollar grin. "I really do appreciate your help over the past couple of weeks." He scrunched his eyebrows, "I really wanted to give Jennifer that interview in London but just could not seem to find the time until after the deal was done. I'm glad you got the message to her to come see me."_

 _Jennifer tilted her head and threw a killer look at her fiancé. "Yes, thanks for your help, Andi. We both appreciate it."_

 _Andi finally let out the breath that she had been holding while staring at THE Jonathan Hart, standing right in front of her._

" _I'm sorry," she blinked a couple of times, swallowed the saliva that had pooled in her mouth and then stiffly turned her head toward Jennifer. "Did you say something?"_

 _Jennifer placed a hand over her mouth and began laughing. Jonathan stood with his hands clasped at his waist and watched both ladies with a smile on his face._

 _Andi took another moment to remember where she was, and why this was a momentous occasion. She took a deep breath, wiped the dreamy look off her face and then pointed toward the editor's office which was currently empty._

" _Put your bag down at your desk and get into Charles's office," Andi ordered._

 _Jonathan put a hand on Jennifer's shoulder. "I'll see you tonight," he attempted._

" _See her tonight?" Andi grabbed Jonathan by the wrist. "Oh, hell no, Wonder Boy. You have a date with us in the editor's office, too. Did you think you were going to just waltz in here, be all smooth and smoochy-smoochy and then wander back out? Nooooo, no, no, no… Your morning schedule better be clear because you two travel companions have a chunk of explaining to do."_

 _Jennifer pressed her lips together and reached toward Andi's hand that was gripping Jonathan's arm._

" _Andi," she waited until her friend looked at her, "Jonathan really does have to get to the office. His driver is waiting for him downstairs." She tried to convince her coworker._

" _Just give me five minutes," Andi looked back and forth at both of them._

 _Jonathan smiled and nodded. "Spoken like a true reporter." He looked at Jennifer and then back at Andi. "You've got four minutes, 45 seconds."_

 _Jennifer smiled; Andi rolled her eyes, and the three of them walked into the windowed office where Andi proceeded to close the blinds in order to give them a hint of privacy._

 _Andi quickly wrapped her arms around Jennifer and hugged her tightly. "I am so happy that you're back. I've missed you, Jennifer!" She relinquished that hold and looked at Jonathan. "And Mr. Hart, it's a pleasure to meet you. I apologize, I admit, I'm a little in awe of … this…" She pointed at the two of them._

" _Call me Jonathan, please," he started and Andi nodded._

" _You know, I've had this whole speech planned since you confessed to this little tryst," she took a quick breath. "I've got all these questions that I want to ask and then I realized I probably shouldn't interrogate you at first meeting."_

 _Jonathan laughed as he watched Andi's hands nearly flailing as she tried to get her thoughts in order and talk at the same time._

" _And then I've got this whole other list of questions that I imagine Mr. Edwards has already asked you, but I feel like I need to know those answers as well. I mean, you're talking about marrying this woman and you've barely known each other … what, two weeks now? And yet you're saying you KNOW each other? I don't know if I'm jealous or peeved. I'm happy for you, I think, but all I know about you," she pointed at Jonathan, "is what I've read in the papers or seen on television. And I know when Jennifer and I talked about the Kingsford Motors deal she was just talking about wanting an interview with you and wanting to break that story."_

 _Jonathan reached for Jennifer's hand and smiled at her. He could now envision discussions that these two professional women might have had before his and Jennifer's chance encounter._

" _So, you're telling me that Jennifer didn't have an ulterior motive in trying to meet me in London?"_

" _Jonathan!" Jennifer admonished him._

" _What? I have a right to ask some questions too, don't I? And if you did have an ulterior motive, this is the woman who would know, right? That's not something you'd tell your mom or dad. Am I right?" He raised his eyebrows in question, earning him another eye roll from Jennifer._

" _What?!" Andi jumped back into the conversation. "No!" She shook her head adamantly. "Jennifer is a complete professional. Her aim was to get the story before anyone else. She could care less about some hunky millionaire flaunting his money._

" _Hey!" Jonathan and Jennifer rebutted, nearly in unison._

 _They turned their heads to look at each other and nearly giggled. Jonathan winked at her and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "You thought I was hunky before we met?" He wondered._

 _She playfully rolled her eyes in thought and swished her head back and forth. I thought you were handsome," she shrugged her shoulders. "Robert Redford…now that's a hunk!"_

 _Jonathan looked at her and shook his head. "Well you got handsome me. Redford's no longer an option for you," he touched her nose with the tip of his finger making her giggle._

 _Andi tapped a pencil eraser against the blotter on Charles's desk. "Are you two about done?" She tried her best not to smile at them._

 _Jonathan and Jennifer both blinked, grinned at each other and then came back into the other world where Andi was looking at them._

" _Done?" Jennifer shook her head._

 _Andi stretched her neck and shook her own head. "See, I knew it. I knew when I actually saw you two together that I wouldn't be able to grill you. You both look… happy. Jennifer, I think I can truly say that I haven't seen you like this. Jonathan, you're good for her."_

 _She shrugged her shoulders and nodded. "Just tell me one thing. What happens now?" Jennifer's friend already had an idea of the news that would impact her own life._

 _Jennifer wrapped her hands around Jonathan's bicep, looked at him and then back at Andi. "I…Andi, you know…I can't stay here and be with Jonathan, too. Most of his work is in Los Angeles. That's where I need to be…to be with him."_

 _Andi nodded. "Will I get an invitation to the wedding?"_

 _Jennifer smiled, stood up and wrapped her arms around her friend. "I was hoping…you'd be my maid of honor?"_

 _Andi pulled away and took Jennifer's hands in hers. "Really? Me? Seriously?" She grinned widely and looked at Jonathan. "I would absolutely love to! You just tell me when and where. I'll be there! But…wait…this is MY story. I get an exclusive on the Hart nuptials. You've gotta give me that much with all you've put me through."_

 _Jennifer looked at Jonathan with a hopeful nibble on her lip._

 _Jonathan sighed and shook his head. "No business talk. You focus on her dress and how the church is decorated. And I swear, if there is any mention about me falling asleep the first night we met, my lawyers will be in touch with you." He attempted to keep a straight face._

 _Jennifer reached toward him and Jonathan stood from the chair knowing he needed to leave and be on his way to work._

 _He hugged Andi easily as she squealed slightly and congratulated them. She waited by the door as Jonathan turned his attention to Jennifer._

" _So, you have a maid of honor now," he smiled at her and leaned in closely._

" _I do," she smiled back widely and met him for a celebratory kiss._

" _I want to hear those words for real, very soon," Jonathan kept his forehead against hers an extra moment._

" _Well, if I can actually get to work…" she smiled and pressed another, longer kiss to his lips._

" _That's your own fault. You keep kissing me like that and neither of us will accomplish much of anything."_

" _A-hem…" the throat clearing came from the door making them both laugh._

" _Right, right," Jennifer pulled herself away from him and took in one more deep breath to keep his scent in her mind for just a while longer._

" _Alrighty, kids, recess is over. Jennifer, you need to come with Miss Prescott to journalism class and Jonathan, I believe you're supposed to be playing business executive, is that correct?" Andi smiled at them._

 _Jonathan placed a hand on the small of Jennifer's back as they both made their way toward the door._

" _Yes, Miss Prescott," Jennifer commented._

" _Why do I feel like I'm being sent to the principal's office?" Jonathan asked as Andi began to open the door._

" _Was that a common occurrence for you in younger years?" Andi wondered._

" _No comment," Jonathan claimed._

" _Well with what I'm figuring the two of you have already been doing, I'd bet the principal's office would just be a new challenge…"_

" _Ah!" Jennifer's eyes widened and she looked at her friend with mouth agape._

" _What? Am I wrong?" Andi wondered._

 _Jonathan and Jennifer both blushed and plead the fifth._

" _Exactly what I thought," Andi nodded. Then she added, "You two are too cute, you know that?"_

 _Jennifer shook her head as Jonathan gave Andi his best boyish grin. He pulled Jennifer back to him one more time before exiting the office. "One more for the road?"_

 _Andi decided to turn her back as the two shared a breathtaking kiss._

" _I'll miss you," Jonathan ran his thumb down Jennifer's cheek._

" _Call me in an hour?" Jennifer suggested._

 _Andi crossed her arms across her chest and pointed at both of them. "Good Lord, you two."_

" _What?" They voiced in unison again._

 _The blonde removed her glasses, placed the tip of the earpiece in her mouth and shook her head. "Nothing," she smiled genuinely at the happy twosome. "Nothing at all."_

 _Jonathan climbed back into the limo and apologized to Mike for taking a little longer than expected. The driver smiled at him in understanding. "I can't blame you Mr. Hart. She's a striking woman. Have you known her a while?"_

 _Jonathan smiled at him, thinking about his beautiful Jennifer. "She is very beautiful. No, we haven't known each other very long. But you know what they say… when you meet the right one, you just know it."_

 _Mike smiled at him through the mirror as he pulled away from the curb. "Straight to the office, Sir?"_

 _Jonathan stared out the window for a second or two before catching Mike's eye again. "Actually, no. I need to make one more stop on the way over."_

" _Where to?"_

 _Jonathan nodded to himself. "Rosenwald's on 86th Street."_

 _Mike thought for just a second. "The jewelry store?"_

 _Jonathan nodded with a knowing smile. "Yeah. They've got something I need and I don't want to wait till tonight to pick it up."_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 22 - Two Harts**


	23. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 23

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 23**

 _Jonathan looked around the apartment. He had spread the 12 dozen roses throughout the living room, the kitchen, and even had sprinkled petals on the bed. He wanted tonight to be memorable for many reasons. He wanted to make love to his fiancée – what man wouldn't – but if tonight didn't end that way for them it was fine. This night was about making Jennifer happy, seeing her smile, memorizing everything about her because he would have to live without her for days…or weeks._

 _He crossed his arms over his chest, chastising himself. Just as he had pouted that very morning over this same subject, he knew Jennifer would remind him that being apart for just days or weeks would be miniscule compared to the fact that love had lead them to each other. And now, they were in the process of planning their future life together._

 _He shook his dark hair and sighed. For the life of him he couldn't recall how he had lived his life without her thus far. And then there was the other part that absolutely didn't want to leave her._

 _Jonathan walked back to the kitchenette and peeked into the oven. He was cheating. Their dinner was prepared by a chef at the hotel down the street from Hart Industries' New York office building. The Chateau Haut-Brion was chilling in the ice bucket. He had sent Mike to pick that up for him while Jonathan spent time at the jewelers that morning._

 _He had fibbed to Jennifer. He HAD gone to the office, sort of, with a number of stops along the way. And while at the office he had made just two calls – neither of them related to work._

 _Max was thrilled to hear that the soon-to-be Mrs. H. was wrapping things up in New York and would soon join them in California. And, along those lines he gave Jonathan a phone number to one of Bel Air's top real estate agents. The woman had been thrilled when Max tossed the name 'Jonathan Hart' at her. She was putting together a list of houses to suit Mr. Hart._

 _Max noted - he hadn't mentioned anything about his boss being engaged. He figured the female professional would likely figure that out on her own…when Jonathan AND Jennifer showed up to look at the upscale homes._

 _Jonathan took a deep breath and smiled to himself. His conversation with Julia Swinson had gone well. She indeed had a list of four homes that would be suitable for Jonathan to see. He recalled driving along Willow Pond Road; nice area, lots of land; gated drives that led to homes that were hidden by mature trees._

 _He would make it a point to drive past a couple of the addresses that Julia offered him as soon as he recovered from the cross-country jetlag that would hit him once at home._

 _Jetlag. Yes, that was what he would blame for his grumpy demeanor. Max would call him on it eventually, but it would buy him a day or two…or at least a few hours._

 _He laughed to himself. He could already hear Max scolding him. "Geez, Mr. H., you've been away from her for what, 12 hours? You got it bad for this dame. I sure hope she doesn't leave you hanging at the altar."_

 _And with that the older fellow would turn and walk away from Jonathan, leaving him alone to cry in his brandy and call Jennifer…again._

 _Jonathan looked at the clock: 5:30PM._

 _He had called Jennifer at work at 4:00. She assumed he was calling from his office. Mobile phones are such a convenience…he was waiting in the limo outside the hotel where their food was being prepared. Jennifer assured him she would leave work by 5:15._

 _She truly didn't want to miss a minute with him either, and was trying her best to put his story together. The sooner it went to press, the sooner she could become a West Coast based writer and a California wife._

 _So, Jonathan sat down on the couch and picked up a magazine: "Better Homes and Gardens."_

 _She should be home by 5:45. Perhaps, he could occupy himself for just 15 more minutes looking at the pages and thinking about their home; choosing it, decorating it, living together…in it._

 _He flipped a slick page to see a color photograph of a paneled bar area. There was an opening for a television, book shelves, a miniature grandfather clock, and racks for wine glasses. The bar itself was walnut with a ridge around the edge. Very elegant and yet practical, Jonathan thought out loud. He would tuck that away for future reference._

 _He shifted his hips on the cushions for comfort and felt the corner of a box poking him from inside his pocket. His eyes moved from the magazine page to the slight bulge and placed his hand against the case._

 _He couldn't help but slide his hand inside his pocket and pull out the protruding cube._

 _Jonathan opened it up and admired its contents. He only knew of Mr. Rosenwald through other business acquaintances. The jewelry store had a top reputation with the owner/jeweler receiving only the highest of marks from his customers._

 _That's why Jonathan hadn't hesitated, much, to contact the man, personally before they left London. Knowing he and Jennifer would be in New York before Los Angeles had made him a little anxious about getting this special piece of jewelry designed and created for his love._

 _And, to his happiness and complete satisfaction, Mr. Rosenwald had taken Jonathan's idea and suggestions and brought them to brilliant, sparkling life._

 _Jonathan knew Jennifer might balk at it at first, but he hoped - after some romantic convincing – she would accept it as just a small token of his love for her._

 _He breathed in deeply and let the breath slowly leak from his lungs. A rattle at the door made him quickly close the little box and stuff it back into his pocket. He flipped another page in the magazine that offered blueprints for log cabins._

 _At one last glance before she opened the door he gave that a thought as well._

 _Jennifer…a cabin in the woods, near a lake, where I can have her all to myself…again._

 _He smiled and slid the magazine onto the coffee table before practically bounding off the couch to meet her as she came through the door._

 _Jonathan grinned like a Cheshire cat, barely letting Jennifer get two feet inside the door before placing his hands behind his back, attempting to be innocent._

" _Welcome home!" he chimed._

 _Jennifer focused on his face, at first. Her hair was still perfectly in place, looking exactly as it had that morning when Jonathan left her at the paper. Her newspaper persona… Still she put her briefcase down just inside the door and quickly put her arms around his neck._

 _Jonathan kissed her quickly, as though they had already been apart for days. Jennifer answered, leaning into him willingly and continuing what he had started._

 _They stood there for several minutes before separating to breathe, foreheads meshed together._

" _I missed you?" she asked as a slight apology._

" _I missed you, too," Jonathan returned._

 _He leaned back to bring her face into his clear view. "We may be in trouble," he looked at her rather seriously. "If this is how we react after just a few hours apart…"_

 _Jennifer laughed and nodded. "Will Max be staying home when I get to Los Angeles?"_

" _I'll arrange a poker weekend for him somewhere. We'll have the condo to ourselves, I swear!"_

 _Jennifer bit her lip. "I hope Max doesn't hate me after all of this is said and done."_

 _Jonathan shook his head, "Not a chance. He is so thrilled for both of us. You can do no wrong in his eyes. I swear…when I asked him to be my best man at the wedding I think he's more upset that he isn't walking you down the aisle!"_

 _Jennifer's eyes widened and she leaned a little farther away from Jonathan, causing him to tighten his embrace._

" _You asked Max to be your best man? When?"_

 _Jonathan smiled. "I'm not a patient man – have you noticed that?" He paused for just a moment. "When I got to the office today, I was thinking about you asking Andi to be your maid of honor. That's an important role to play. And I've known all along that Max had to be my best man. So I called him and asked him."_

" _And he accepted, I take it?" Jennifer ran a couple of fingers through Jonathan's hair as she thought of their older friend being right there by their sides from the very beginning._

" _He did," Jonathan grinned and leaned against her hand that cupped his cheek. "Is that okay with you?"_

 _Jennifer nodded happily. "I really like that idea. He's been there for you and helped you make some big decisions. I like knowing that he is willing to be there, for us, and that the three of us, and Andi, can stand with the priest to bring our lives together. I think it's wonderful."_

 _She smiled again, a few tears forming over her corneas making her blink while she placed another quick kiss on his lips._

 _Jennifer finally began looking around her apartment and taking in the scent of … roses._

" _Jonathan?" She squirmed for him to release his hold on her._

" _Hmmm?" He asked innocently._

" _What's all… of… this?" She looked toward the kitchen, her desk, the living room area, and noted red and yellow roses scattered everywhere. Some were in vases. Some lay on the counter and tables. Some were long stemmed, others were cut. All of them were beautiful._

" _What have you done?" She looked back at him, smiling and began to walk around the space, picking up one or two of the flowers and holding them under her nose. "Jonathan, they're beautiful! But….but why?"_

 _He shrugged his shoulders. "My beautiful bride-to-be deserves flowers. I hope roses are okay. I don't think I've asked you what your favorite flower is. I went with red and yellow. I've always been fond of yellow roses for some reason."_

 _Jonathan stepped toward her and picked up one of the yellow blooms, sniffing it as she was doing. He stood shoulder to shoulder with her and looked down into her eyes. "I don't know why…they've just always seemed elegant, but almost playful. Not as 'formal' as red roses, but just as pretty – at least in my eyes. I hope you like them."_

 _Jennifer stared upwards into his eyes as she listened to him explain his floral choice. "I do," she smiled and tiptoed slightly to get another kiss. "I love them!" she continued looking around at the vast number of blossoms adorning her home._

" _There are so many, though! Jonathan, you shouldn't have."_

 _He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Ah-ah," he raised his eyebrows and looked into her face. "There are 12 dozen. Again, don't ask me why, that just seemed like the perfect number to me when I started thinking about getting flowers for you. And if it's for you, yes, I should have. You deserve every one of them and more. We'll have rose bushes at our house so Max can put roses on the table every day if you want!"_

 _Jennifer placed her head against his clavicle, thoroughly enjoying his successful attempt to spoil her._

 _She looked back at him again with a wide smile. "I'd love that. Do you suppose we could add some lilies in that flower garden, too? While you've pretty much convinced me that yellow roses are now my favorite, too…I do love lilies."_

 _Jonathan grinned. "Roses and lilies… I'll put those on Max's to-do list!"_

 _After another moment Jennifer caught a whiff of another smell in the room. "Are you cooking?" She creased her eyebrows and watched the boyish grin form on his lips._

" _Sort of," he admitted. He held tightly to her fingers not wanting her to go to the kitchen but she tugged a bit harder until he finally gave way._

 _Jennifer opened the oven door just enough to peek in and get a good smell of the food inside. "What is that?" she wondered with playful, shining eyes._

 _Jonathan shrugged. "Beef bourguignon," he watched her happily. "It's one of my favorites. I hope you like it. I didn't make it, I'm just keeping it warm."_

" _You like to do that, don't you?" She stepped back toward him and placed her arms on his shoulders._

" _Do what?" he smiled at her with a questioning look._

" _Keep things warm…" she bit on her bottom lip, cluing him in to the double entendre._

 _Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist. "Oh, I've found several things recently that I like to keep warm," he raised his eyebrows as she pulled away slightly to question his response._

" _You…your side of the bed…your spot on the couch…your seat in the car… And the best way for me to keep those warm is to have you with me, ALL the time," he lowered his lips to hers and softly kissed her._

" _You're so smooth," she smiled at him teasingly when their kiss ended._

 _They each searched the others eyes in silence, holding one another and thinking._

" _What time will you leave tomorrow?" Jennifer finally asked. Her facial changes revealed where her thoughts were and how much she really didn't want to think about his answer to that particular question._

 _Jonathan shook his head. "I don't want to think about that right now."_

 _Jennifer pressed her lips together. "What do you want to think about?"_

" _Dance with me?" His hands knit together at her waist, supporting her back as he began swaying._

 _She tiptoed slightly and kissed his cheek, her fingers playing with edge of his hair. She let him lead a silent dance, their bodies moving together gently._

 _Jonathan loved the feel of her in his arms. When she put her head on his shoulder he leaned his cheek against her hair. He was soaking in her scent and the simplicity of the moment until they shifted and the little box in his pocket poked against her thigh._

" _Jonathan?" she pulled away ever so slightly and glanced down at his pants._

 _He kept his arms around her and said nothing, making her even more suspicious._

" _Jonathan?" she asked again, wriggling in his arms to try and see his face, noting even more suspiciously that he was holding even tighter._

" _Jonathan Hart…" she began once more and finally caught his eye. "I'm going to have to give you a middle name, Mister. Tell me what's in your pocket."_

 _His face looked serene. He wasn't upset that she seemed frustrated by his quietness. Nor that she was irked enough to call him by his full name. Instead he looked down into her beautiful hazel eyes and breathed in and out calmly._

" _Jennifer," his West Coast saying of her name warmed her through and through. His voice wasn't deep, but it was husky enough to give her a cold chill, although she did her best to mask the shiver._

" _Sit down," he released his hold on her body but kept her hand in his. He placed his other hand on the small of her back and directed her to the couch._

" _Darling," she hesitated, now slightly worried._

" _Please," he tried again, "sit down."_

 _She did as he requested and then looked up at him. He turned his mouth into a closed-lip smile, then pressed his lips together in thought._

" _I wanted to wait until after we'd eaten, but…" he stalled and placed his right hand into his pants pocket where Jennifer could now see the outline of a box._

" _Jonathan?" She eyed him quizzically._

 _He slowly pulled the box out of his pocket and looked down at it. When he looked back at his love she had her hand over her mouth, as the realization sank in._

 _Jonathan slowly sank to one knee. He opened the box to reveal the three carat, round cut, diamond engagement ring. The white gold and diamonds set in the ring sparkled in the dim light of the room. He glanced again at the box, making sure he had it turned toward her before taking her left hand in his and placing a kiss against her knuckles._

 _Jennifer sat, stunned, and silent._

" _I realized, after our real first night together, that I kind of messed up the marriage proposal in London," he began. "It was chaos. All I knew at that point was that I had fallen in love with you and the idea of you leaving the country without me… Well, it just left me feeling empty. I had to do something to keep you there with me. And…" he laughed through his nose, "you said, 'Yes'." He smiled at her, beginning to feel that warmth that came completely from her._

" _These last two weeks, Jennifer, I can't explain it, except that I've fallen completely, head-over-heels in love with you. You're beautiful, you're brilliant, you're the woman I've always dreamed of and yet thought I would never find. But I have. God… Fate… Love… something put us together in London and I am eternally grateful."_

" _But," he looked at her eyes where the tears formed a sheen, and yet she stared at him with an immense trust and hope, "I want to make sure that you share my feelings. I realize that I didn't get down on one knee there by the Thames. I did in the carriage, but I didn't have an engagement ring at either point. So, I need to do this properly."_

 _Jennifer felt a slight bit of sweat on his hand that was holding hers and saw the few beads that formed on his forehead._

" _Jennifer Suzanne Edwards," his voice crackled slightly with his own emotions, "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. If you love me, too, will you please marry me?"_

 _Jennifer couldn't get past his face. She was again seeing a young man who was offering his life to her. And in Jonathan's case this was rare… he had chosen her._

 _She nodded slowly as he watched. A few tears dripped from her eyes as she whispered a simple, "Yes," to him. Then she found herself on the floor in front of him, on both knees, wrapping her arms around his neck once again and pulling them together._

" _Yes," she said more strongly. "Yes, Jonathan Hart, a thousand times yes! I will marry you because I love you, too, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you and caring for you and being Mrs. Jonathan Hart."_

 _She heard him laugh. It was his simple reaction telling her that he was more joyful than she could ever know._

 _In the next moment he pulled the beautiful ring from its velvet seat and slid it gently onto her finger. Jennifer admired it, glancing back and forth between the ring and his smiling face. She dabbed at the few teardrops that remained on her face with her right hand as she kept staring at the radiating stone on her left._

" _Yes?" Jonathan grinned widely._

" _Yes," Jennifer added with firm punctuation._

" _The reporter in you is dying to ask questions. I can see it in your eyes," Jonathan stated. He pulled himself up onto the couch and then reached to help Jennifer._

 _She sat on his lap and put her left hand on his chest as Jonathan wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close. She shook her head at him, responding to his assumption._

 _Instead of saying anything she moved her left hand to his cheek, bent her head to his and kissed him deeply. She felt his fingers tightening against her hip and did her best to show him just how much she loved this moment through their kiss._

 _The ring could've been made of aluminum and plastic for all she cared. Any reporter-esque questions that might enter her mind would be pushed away for at least a little while. All Jennifer Edwards wanted in that very moment was her fiancée, and any reminder that he wanted to offer that they would soon be Mr. and Mrs. Hart._

 **Two Harts - Chapter 23 - Two Harts**


	24. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 24

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 24**

* * *

 **Hi Hartie Fans & Readers!  
Two notes on this chapter...1, the last few pages ARE M/X rated in my opinion. So, read this Jonathan and Jennifer love scene at your own risk. ;) And 2, I need some input...where do we go from here? I'm not great at writing wedding 'stuff' and I'm ready to put this story to bed, so to speak. So, if you have any suggestions, please toss them my way!**

 **Thanks for reading and thanks for your reviews and input!  
adcgordon  
**

* * *

 _Jonathan picked up a throw pillow and threw it to the other end of the couch. He stood back and looked at the furniture then grabbed the pillow and put it back where it had been._

 _He turned and looked toward the kitchen. Fresh flowers on the table in the dining room – check. Dirty dishes cleaned and put away? Check. Wine chilling in the refrigerator… check._

 _He took a deep breath, put his hands on his hips and looked back at the couch. Max said it all looked fine. Max said HE looked fine. Why couldn't he just take Max's word for it, sit down and relax a little?_

 _Because until she was there with him, he couldn't concentrate on anything else…even relaxing._

 _Jonathan glanced at the counter window between the living room and kitchen then stared at the unopened legal-sized envelope that had been sitting there for a week._

 _Jennifer had couriered a copy of her article to him before it went to print. He had told her time and time again over the past two weeks that he didn't want to read it. He trusted her and trusted her work. No matter what she wrote it would be wonderful._

 _He even saw the headline in the New York Post the day the article ran. He had smiled. His happiness hadn't regarded the title: "American Entrepreneur Steadies British Automaker Waves". No, he had smiled at the byline – "Jennifer Edwards"._

 _He had handed the paper to Max who read every word and seemed pleased. Jonathan swore his dear friend to secrecy. He didn't want to know what Jennifer had written – at least not until he could see her again face to face. Even with all the compliments he received from his employees and others who read the very complimentary newspaper piece, all Jonathan Hart wanted was to have the article's author back in his arms._

 _He walked to the counter and ran a finger over the writing on the envelope. They hadn't seen each other in two weeks. The couple had talked multiple times, every day, including every night before bed._

 _Jonathan blushed at that thought. Two of those conversations, in particular, had stuck in his brain…and other parts of his body. "Good Night, I love you" chats had turned to erotic thoughts and "What are you wearing…take it off for me, please?"_

 _He closed his eyes. He hadn't settled for cold showers those two nights. He had changed the sheets on his bed like a teenager to keep Max from catching his sexual mischievousness – albeit purely pleasurable activities with the woman he would soon marry!_

 _Jonathan was quite sure Jennifer hadn't put her acting skills to work on those evenings either. Their morning conversations following their phone escapades led him to believe she fully enjoyed his gruff voice pulling her with him toward their mutual edge._

 _He felt a few beads of sweat on his hairline and caught himself holding his breath. God, she couldn't be there soon enough._

 _The sound of a turning doorknob brought him back to reality. He quickly leaned his elbow on the counter and looked away from the door just as Max walked in._

 _The older man struggled slightly with three cloth bags of groceries and the cigar that was burning in his mouth. He looked at Jonathan without a hint of a smile and used his foot to close the door behind him._

" _Everything ok, Max?" Jonathan attempted to sound casual._

 _Max shoved a bag toward him and waited impatiently for Jonathan to take the hint._

" _Oh, sorry, yeah, let me get that…" Jonathan moved quickly and took two of the bags from his friend and carried them to the kitchen._

" _What time are you heading to the airport?" Mr. Hart turned and looked at the harried man who appeared to be quickly losing patience with him._

" _Are you seriously asking me that…again?" Max raised his eyebrows and his gravelly voice._

 _Jonathan stared at him. Max huffed in response._

" _I swear, the minute I get Mrs. H. into this apartment I am outta here."_

" _Am I that bad?" Jonathan stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest._

 _Max let out a long breath and pulled the cigar from between his lips. He looked Jonathan up and down and then shook his head with a little bit of a smile on his lips. "I remember being in love… and I remember you having a couple of love interests."_

 _Jonathan shrugged his shoulders, "Go on…"_

" _But I can honestly say that I've never seen you in love…till now. Yous two have been apart for two weeks. You've been worse than a new puppy when its owner goes to work. Callin' her at all hours…she's all you've talked about. I hate to see what kind of dictation DeAnne's had to take. I bet the name Jennifer is all through your business deals."_

 _Jonathan rolled his eyes._

" _You miss her, I get it. And honestly, it's nice, Mr. H. I can't wait for Jennifer to be part of our family – if you can just hang on a couple more hours!" He jabbed playfully._

 _Jonathan unfolded his arms and put his hands on the back of a chair to lean for a moment. "That's it, isn't it Max? I am head over heels in love with this woman." He surmised, pressed his lips together and looked at Max for confirmation._

 _The hearty nod of Max's head made Jonathan suck in a long, slightly shaky breath._

" _I just want to give her everything," he continued. "I want her to be happy and I want her to have the best. And for the first time ever I'm bringing a woman into our home to make her part of our home."_

 _Max nodded again. "She's a special lady, Mr. H. She's gonna add a lot of life to our home."_

 _Jonathan snapped his fingers. "That reminds me, Max! Home… Did you set up a time with the real estate lady? I think the place on Willow Pond will be perfect. I want to take Jennifer to see it –"_

" _You ain't goin' nowhere tonight, Mr. H." Max interjected._

 _Jonathan grinned, "Or tomorrow, Max."_

 _Max practically snorted. "I booked myself into the penthouse suite at the Beverly Wilshire for the next week. Hope that's not a problem, Boss."_

 _Jonathan tilted his head and looked rather facetiously at his house man. "I hope you WIN enough to cover that bill."_

" _Yeaaahhhhh," Max laughed. "You wouldn't know the difference."_

 _Jonathan and Max had shared numerous conversations about Jennifer's appearance on their California agenda. Most of the chats had Jonathan going back and forth about meeting her at the airport versus Max picking her up and bringing her home._

 _As much as Jonathan wanted to send his private jet to get her, Jennifer insisted on flying commercial. As much as Jennifer wanted him to meet her at the airport, Jonathan wasn't sure he could act appropriately when he saw her step off the plane._

 _And, as much as they each couldn't wait to see each other again, Max had set the plan. HE would pick Jennifer up at the airport while Jonathan waited at the condominium. He made sure both of them knew his intentions during one of the telephone arguments that he nearly got sick of hearing._

" _If you want ME to drive the two of yous home, you'll need to invest in a limo with a privacy shield. I don't want to be privy to your back-seat antics. Last thing I need to see is your naked ass in the air when I'm trying to switch lanes on the 405."_

 _Jonathan and Jennifer had snickered like teenagers. But, both heard and understood what Max was saying. And so the flight information was shared, the plans were made, and now Jonathan sat nervously on the couch, waiting._

 _He heard the voices outside the door and quickly stood up. 'No, too anxious…sit down, Hart,' his inner voice spoke. So he sat back down, crossed and uncrossed his legs, fidgeted with the buttons on the collar of his shirt, and then stood up again and went directly to the door._

 _He opened it hurriedly to see a smiling Max reaching for the door, and a beaming Jennifer, hair tightly bunned once more._

 _Max stood between them purposefully, giving Jonathan a purely evil glance. "Save it until the door is closed Big Boy," he teased._

 _Jennifer stared at him with glistening eyes and a gentle smile on her face._

 _Jonathan stepped out of the way for Max to bring two of her suitcases in. Other boxes would be delivered and put into storage until Jennifer needed them. For now, all she truly needed was the man standing in the doorway._

" _Hi," Jonathan offered nervously. He extended his hand toward the inside of his home and then quickly looked back at Jennifer._

" _Hey there," she responded with the same nervousness and then took his invitation to enter the apartment._

 _She stepped just far enough inside for him to close the door behind them._

" _Make yourself at home," Jonathan suggested with a quiet, eager voice._

 _Jennifer looked around at the simple but elegant decorations and then let her purse strap slide off her shoulder. She put the smaller bag with her carryon suitcase and sat it against the table where she noticed Max had put the car keys, just inside the door._

" _Jonathan –" she started only to hear her name coming from his lips._

 _"Jennifer –" he placed a soft hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to face him._

 _When she turned he again saw the eyes that had lured him to her. They stood looking at one another for another moment until the reality actually began to feel real._

" _I've missed you," Jennifer spoke first but didn't wait for him to respond. Instead she placed both of her hands on his cheeks and pulled his face toward hers._

 _Jonathan first felt the cool metal of her engagement ring and then a searing heat from her lips joining with his. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her as she continued holding his face and kissing him._

 _When her tongue pressed against his lips, requesting a deeper embrace, Jonathan pulled away just enough to look at her for a split second. "I love you. You know that?"_

 _Jennifer ran her thumb across his lips before giving him a physical response instead of the verbal one._

 _She didn't realize how much she had missed him until their lips parted and tongues met, hesitantly, yet hungry for one another. Jennifer felt her body melt against his and realized, after minutes connected to him, that he was holding her as he leaned against the wall and she was clinging to his face with both hands._

 _Jonathan didn't mind at all when she practically went limp in his arms. He tightened his hold around her, splaying his hands at her waist and on her back to keep her from falling away._

 _She was kissing him with every ounce of energy she could find and yet letting him kiss her in return with a loving passion that truly encouraged her heart._

 _Jennifer pulled a breath in through her nose, snaked her arms around his neck and began playing with his hair before pulling away from him ever so slowly._

" _Did I mention that I've missed you?" she blinked as she whispered and stared into his brilliant blue eyes that were smiling at her._

" _Did I mention that I love you?" Jonathan spoke to her in the soft, sexy voice that had put her to sleep every night while they were apart._

 _She bit her bottom lip, not really knowing what else she could say to him to convey how happy she was to be back in his arms._

 _They shared a few more soft kisses as they became re-introduced, leaning against the wall of his entryway._

 _A soft, yet gruff, "Ahem" was heard behind them – a reminder that they weren't alone._

 _Both turned with blushing grins on their faces to see Max standing on the other side of the room with his suitcase in hand. Neither relinquished their hold on the other in Max's presence._

 _It was an easy testimony of the years to come and the comfort the three of them would share._

" _I'm gonna head out now if that's alright with the two of you," Max began. He smiled easily at them both. "There's plenty of food in the fridge, although I doubt eating is at the top of your priorities right now…"_

 _Jennifer ducked her head against Jonathan's shoulder but quickly re-emerged with a smile still on her face._

" _I'll be at the Wilshire if you need anything. And, I'll be back the day after tomorrow – so maybe yous can take that as a warning. Mr. H., don't forget you've got business meetings at the end of the week, and Mrs. H. you have wedding plans to get started on. You're appointment with that real estate lady is in a couple of days too. But I'm sure she'd be happy to meet you whenever you want, just give her a call. Her number's on the notepad by the phone." Max continued with his instructions that he figured they were ignoring, even though they both had eyes pinned to him for the moment._

" _With that," he picked up his suitcase and made his way toward the happy couple, "I'm gettin' out of your hair and will leave you to get reacquainted."_

 _Jonathan squeezed her a little tighter with one arm as Max approached the door. With his other hand he reached out to Max's shoulder. "Thank you," Jonathan offered._

 _Jennifer stepped away from Jonathan momentarily and placed her hands on Max's biceps. She tiptoed and placed a kiss on the older man's cheek and smiled at him too. "Yes, thank you, Max," she leaned back against Jonathan and happily felt his arms wrap around her once more._

 _Max just grinned at them. He grabbed the keys out of the small tray on the table. "Call me if you need anything…" he reiterated with a pause, "…unless it's personal protection…" he pointed a stiff finger toward Jonathan. "You're on your own for that now."_

 _Jonathan and Jennifer both held in their teenage giggle until Max walked out the door and shut it behind him. For a second they both did laugh; until Jennifer began unbuttoning Jonathan's shirt._

 _She watched her fingers as they untucked the neatly pressed material from the waist of his pants and then continued the unbuttoning process. Jonathan steadied himself against the wall, waiting patiently to find out just how far she wanted to take this._

 _When his shirt opened Jennifer slid her hands up his chest and pushed the cloth off his shoulders. Without a word she looked up at him, tiptoed and recaptured his lips with hers. Her hands explored the hair on his chest, her thumbs found his pulse at his clavicle and then wrapped around his neck, pulling her love as close to her as possible._

 _She didn't mind that he hadn't said a word. In Jennifer's mind they were on the same wavelength already. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything since getting on the plane in New York that morning. She wanted to consummate her move, her engagement, her love for this man right now._

 _Jonathan loved her hunger. He had missed her smell, her warmth, the way she looked at him, and the way she touched him through and through. And he knew what she was doing. His sexual need for her had nearly exploded when he saw her standing in the hallway. Max had squelched that slightly, but now…now was the time._

" _I want you," Jennifer looked at his lips as she spoke, chancing a split second glance at his eyes and recognizing a desire that matched her own._

 _She moved her hands back to his chest, moving them slowly, kneading his pectoral muscles and lightly scraping her short, smooth nails over his breasts. Her fingertips pressed against his abdomen and finally lowered to the barrier of his pants._

 _Jennifer grasped his waistband, her thumbs rubbing aimlessly over the leather of his belt. She pressed her lips back to his and was pleased when his hands moved to the back of her head, pulling her farther into him._

 _She left her hands in place, simply steadying herself as they shared the deep kiss. Then, she felt his fingers tugging gently on her hair._

 _Jonathan smiled as she drew back from their liplock._

" _I want to be able to take your hair down," he readily admitted. "I want to be able to run my fingers through it when we make love."_

 _Jennifer looked at him a bit skeptically at first and then understood that he truly did want to know – as a way of pleasuring both of them._

" _Come, sit down," Jonathan ran his hand over her cheek, slowly down her neck, over her shoulder and arm to her hand._

 _He led her to the overstuffed reclining chair where he sat down first. He pulled her down to sit on his lap and took the opportunity to place a lingering kiss on her neck._

" _Of course, it's easier to do this," he kissed again, "with your hair up…I suppose." He hummed as he tasted her skin and basked at the sound of her own low hums of enjoyment._

 _Then he gently began pulling the bobby pins from the hairdo until her auburn locks fell around her neck and shoulders._

" _Did I miss any?" He whispered against the shell of her ear making Jennifer lean her head backwards against his shoulder, allowing him access to her neck once more._

 _At that moment she didn't care if there were bobby pins, hair combs or a Pebble Flintstone bone left in her hair. Jonathan was running his fingers through her curls, running his lips and tongue over her ear and down her neck and his fingers had found another activity on her blouse._

 _Before she could conjure another thought, his nimble fingers were on the skin of her chest, slowly crawling their way under the soft cup of her bra. Only when he groaned, feeling her nipples taut against his palms, did she give their current situation another inkling._

" _Jonathan," she whispered with great effort to actually get her voice to sound._

" _Hmmm?" he barely registered his own name. The gentle massage he was performing had caused another part of his anatomy to take over 'thinking'._

" _I want…" Jennifer sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, nibbling on it as he continued nibbling on the tender skin near her pulse._

 _She had decided two weeks prior that she wanted to be more forward in her attempts to pleasure him on this particular occasion. After the 'goodbye' performance he had given at her apartment she wanted to reciprocate as a 'welcome' to the West Coast._

" _I do, too…" Jonathan murmured, having no real clue what she was trying to say._

" _No, Jonathan…" Jennifer felt a little more blushing strength building throughout her body. She waited for him to stop the pleasurably teasing kisses and then looked him in the eye._

" _I want to…" She took in a slow breath and let it out again, "to taste…every part of you."_

 _Jonathan understood the words because he had used them on her just a few weeks before. Still he didn't release his hold on her. "Are you sure?"_

 _Jennifer nodded at him with a nervous smile. "At least, up to…a point…"_

 _Jonathan watched her eyes, shining, curious yet nervous. There was a sense of innocence about her that made him want to say 'no' to her. And yet knowing the lovers' experiences they had already had together made him want more…of her and from her._

 _When he unwrapped his arms from her body Jennifer stood up. She watched him lean back in the chair, already shirtless and knowing his arousal was just underneath the zipper of his chino pants._

 _Jennifer knew she was about to heighten that arousal. He had unbuttoned her blouse but hadn't paid any attention to the material that sat snuggly against her body. As she slipped the sleeves of her shirt off her shoulders Jonathan realized that she had started this day with similar thoughts as he had._

" _Oh, Jennifer…" He licked his lips and put his hands behind his head. "…the red lace…"_

 _She met his eyes and held them as she performed a slow, striptease act in front of him. She bent slightly and held the arm of the chair as she slipped the shoes from her feet and then let her pants slide to the floor. And, she heard the air going into his lungs as he looked at her, once again wearing the powerful, revealing red negligee._

 _Jonathan moved his hands to the arms of the leather chair, grasping the cool, slick material as Jennifer climbed onto his thighs. "I've not had much experience with this…um…this…"_

" _Activity?" Jonathan's already husky voice attempted to fill in her missing word._

" _Yes," she said slowly, placing her hands on his collar bones and slowly sliding them over his chest again. "This activity…" she licked her lips and worked to restrain herself from completely ripping his belt and zipper to free his growing length._

" _Darling?" Jonathan's top teeth grazed his bottom, showing Jennifer his own restraining battle._

 _Jennifer moved her hand lower and lower, finally cupping him, knowing she couldn't hold herself back much longer. She watched her hand for a moment, looked at his now closed eyes and the labored breathing that accompanied her actions._

" _Darling?" she whispered to see if he really wanted to tell her something._

" _Don't…take too long," he licked his lips and worked to regulate his breathing._

 _Jennifer smiled. She didn't want to be too quick but was very happy to hear his invitation to make their coupling happen a little faster this time around._

 _So she didn't hesitate to unbuckle, unbutton and unzip the barriers between them. She stood up and reached for the edge of his pants and boxers to pull them off his body but hesitated for a question and a request._

" _Jonathan…"_

 _His eyes were on her completely._

" _Here?" she pointed to the chair as he slowly nodded._

 _And, as she unbuckled the straps of the sexy lace on her shoulders and pulled it off her body she reached to grasp his length. "Will you tell me…can you…I mean, before you…"_

 _Jonathan reached with a finger to her wrist, stalling her actions only for a moment. Their eyes again met to make sure he understood her wishes._

" _I want you…inside of me…to finish." She pressed her lips together and looked at his eyes for confirmation._

 _Jonathan breathed in and out slowly. The desire in his eyes told her simply that he would try – and that he was already enjoying every moment of being with her again._

 _With that Jennifer straddled his legs and began kissing her way down his body. Their lips met for a hungered, passionate kiss as her hands worked him to the thickness that she knew would stretch her and send her into oblivion over and over again._

 _Jonathan watched as her lips made their way to his hardness. He wasn't sure what words came from his mouth as her soft lips wrapped around him and her tongue began swirling over his most delicate heat._

 _And when he couldn't take anymore, when his hips began pulsing on their own accord, wanting to be deeper in her, he reluctantly put his hands in her hair, forcing her to stop._

 _Jennifer smiled at him, now a vixen who had learned a new way to drive her love toward his peak. She didn't let him move, but scooted her own heat over his to finish their reunion._

" _Was that ok?" She asked as they both lay naked together on the recliner, wrapped in a blanket that had somehow been retrieved from the back of the couch._

" _Ok?" Jonathan placed a kiss in her mass of hair._

" _Mmm-hmm…was it?" She asked again with a delicate scrape of her fingers over his hip._

 _Jonathan placed his index finger under her chin and raised her lips to meet his._

" _I don't want to know where you learned to do that…I don't want to know how you may have practiced that in the past…but what I do want is a repeat performance…very soon!"_

 **Two Harts - Chapter 24 - Two Harts**


	25. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 25

**Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **Chapter 25**

"I have another present for you…" Andi whispered to Jennifer as the bride-to-be passed along another lovely gift that her friends had given her.

The bridal shower had been thrown by a couple of Jennifer's aunts. The wedding was now a week away and her mother had insisted on keeping Jennifer's mind occupied with the preparations instead of allowing her time to sulk. She was doing enough of that every night in Jonathan's absence.

Suzanne was blaming both Jonathan and Stephen for that.

Stephen wanted his daughter at home two weeks before her wedding. Jonathan had disagreed. The plans were well in place. He and Jennifer had planned to arrive in Maryland a few days prior to their nuptials. But, in this instance the father's insistence outweighed the man who was taking Stephen's daughter from him.

And so, Jennifer had spent the past week in her old bedroom, under her parents' roof, without the man who had occupied her new bedroom…mainly the bed…for two full months.

Suzanne had likened her to a typical teenager. On the phone until late at night – because the one person she wanted to talk to was on Pacific Time – waking late in the morning and pouting throughout the day.

Mrs. Edwards would be happy when Jonathan finally arrived, although Stephen had the guest HOUSE prepared for this visit, not just the guest room.

" _Two weeks," Stephen had pointed a finger toward his daughter. "You will appreciate your wedding night more. Take my word for it."_

 _Jennifer had rolled her eyes, blushed, and turned her back on her father._

" _Our wedding night will be a continuation of the past two months," Jennifer had told Jonathan that night on the phone._

 _And after that their phone etiquette had declined to a… heated… conversation that left both softly moaning and somewhat satisfied._

 _The next night they talked again, but when Jonathan tried to urge his fiancée to play along with him, she declined. "Jonathan…I want you," she had pouted._

" _Jennifer, you have me... All to yourself, alone in bed, clothes, pajamas, few clothes, bare naked… however you want me. Just tell me," he tried to encourage her._

" _I… I can't tonight. Darling, I just miss you. I'm addicted to you," she admitted quietly._

" _I know," Jonathan agreed. "But it's just a few more days. Look at it that way. Once we are married your father can't keep us apart. And you know, he's just trying to make sure our wedding is a special time for us…not just for him and your mother."_

" _I know," Jennifer sighed. "It still doesn't change the fact that I miss you… with clothes, without clothes…"_

" _You're killing me," Jonathan laughed as he heard her giggle, finally. "Are we foregoing our nightly entertainment?" he asked with a bit of regret in his voice._

 _Jennifer hummed a disappointed response. "Doing…'it'…for myself isn't nearly as fun," she swallowed to wet her dry throat and looked around the room as if someone was listening to their conversation. "It was one thing when I was still in New York and was so keyed up to see you again… But now that I've been able to spend every night with you… Jonathan, the novelty of… phone sex…" she whispered the words, "has kind of worn off. I need the real YOU."_

 _Jonathan chuckled. "I'm glad to hear that."_

 _She smiled and ducked her head back and forth as she realized how desperate she must sound. "I just love you," she tried to back track._

" _And I love you, too," Jonathan quickly added. "And I need the real you as well. Don't you ever forget that."_

 _Jennifer sighed. They were addicted to each other. And, she didn't want it any other way._

" _Goodnight, Darling," Jennifer puckered her lips and sent a kiss through the phone line._

" _Just a little over a week more," Jonathan reminded her and they both paused. "Jennifer?" he beckoned for her attention._

" _Hmmm?" she was lost in thoughts about him._

" _Maybe not tonight…maybe not every night between now and then…but maybe one or two nights between now and when I get to Maryland…" He bit on his lip, now realizing the desperation he was feeling._

" _Hmmm?" She asked again, being a bit more attentive but not fully understanding his request, yet._

" _Will you…maybe…at least help me…relieve some pressure?" he glanced down at the pent up 'pressure' that would now require lots of thoughts of Jennifer and his imagination._

" _You do miss me." Jennifer smiled to herself feeling a little warmth run through her body as his round-about suggestion soaked into her._

" _Yes," Jonathan readily admitted. "I really do."_

 _After hanging up the phone that evening a few things wouldn't leave his mind. Thoughts of Jennifer…thoughts of their time together over the past couple of months…and a word she had used, 'novelty,'… that just might buy them both some pleasured experiences while apart._

"Why are you whispering?" Jennifer looked at her maid of honor with innocent eyes as the other ladies passed around the box of monogrammed towels and 'ooo'd' and 'aww'd' at the gift.

"It's not one you can open here," Andi raised her eyebrows. "It's from Jonathan and he wants you to open it before calling him tonight."

Jennifer's eyebrows dipped in thought. "So why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I don't want to forget to give it to you. It's in my car. I had to pick it up for him since he knew I would see you before he does." Jennifer's friend smiled and shook her head with a little pink tinge in her cheeks.

"Why are you blushing?" Jennifer inquired with a quick look around to make sure her guests' attention wasn't focused on their quiet conversation.

"Because ' _B-J'_ I would've never agreed to pick up something like this for you. It _never_ would've entered my mind."

"B-J?" Jennifer wondered.

"Before Jonathan!" Andi answered with a grin. "But…Mmmm…" Andi hummed, "Just thinking about him makes me want to…"

"Andi!" Jennifer's eyes widened as she reprimanded her cohort a little more loudly than she planned.

Eyes turned back to the guest of honor with Suzanne walking back to her daughter. "Everything okay, Jennifer?"

Jennifer smiled easily, looked toward Andi and blinked her eyelashes quickly. "Yes…yes, Mother. We're fine! Andi was just telling me I should spike the punch and drink some more to take my mind off Jonathan."

The ladies in attendance laughed a little uncomfortably at her supposed outburst and explanation. Aunt Martha, Aunt Alice, and friends of the family had yet to meet Jonathan. Suzanne and Jennifer both knew they would all be impressed to see him on her arm.

At that moment, Jennifer wanted to know exactly what Andi had picked up for Jonathan, and why it was making her friend have such thoughts about _her_ fiancé!

Jennifer sat down in the car with Andi after the bridal shower ended. Suzanne had packed the gifts into her car to take home from the church's dining area where the party was held.

Jennifer climbed into Andi's car to head back to the house by way of an early dinner in town. The two spent the next couple of hours talking about wedding plans, last minute details that they would take care of together, and Andi listened to Jennifer's woeful tale of missing Jonathan.

After the dinner they put on their seatbelts and Jennifer sat back preparing to give Andi directions to her childhood home. But before she started the car Andi handed Jennifer a small, wrapped box.

"This is the gift I was telling you about, from Jonathan," She smiled.

Jennifer inspected the wrapping paper. It was simple, golden foil with a little bit of glitter. No bow, no card. She couldn't imagine what would be inside except for some piece of jewelry. Knowing Jonathan had gotten her engagement ring in New York she thought perhaps he had ordered another trinket from the same jeweler.

She tucked a fingernail into the crease and started to unwrap the present when Andi stopped her.

"Oh! No! Wait, don't open it here!" She insisted with a hand on Jennifer's arm.

"What?" Jennifer stopped and looked at her friend. "Why not?"

Andi thought for a moment before speaking again. She knew what was in the box. She knew several reasons why Jonathan hadn't just purchased the item on the West Coast and overnighted it to Jennifer. What she didn't know was what to expect as a reaction from Jennifer.

On the one hand it could be comical. Or, it could be embarrassing. She could only imagine Jennifer's relationship with this man. The two women had shared some revealing conversations over the past few months and in all honesty, Andi was a little jealous. But even more, she was living, for the moment, vicariously through Jennifer and Jonathan.

"What the hell," Andi gave in. "Go ahead and open it. But just know…" she looked directly into Jennifer's eyes, "Jonathan called and gave me instructions on what to pick up. He left the final decision in my hands. He claimed he didn't know of anything _specific._ Not sure if I believe that or not, but I did what he asked. Keep that in mind."

Andi began backing out of the parking space as Jennifer slowly unwrapped the gift. Her eyes widened when the emblem on the box came into focus. "Andi?" She tilted the entire box toward the driver.

"I just picked what I thought would serve his purpose…and yours…" Andi shook her head and shrugged her shoulders as she looked down at the Playboy Bunny emblem on the lid.

"I'm not sure I want to open this," Jennifer bit on the side of her lip, several ideas running through her head.

"Jonathan said it was a gag gift…something you'd chuckle about. I'm not sure I believe him," Andi suggested.

Jennifer slowly lifted the lid of the box and breathed in a long breath as she looked at the contents.

"The Rabbit," She read the product name on the plastic wrapper. "Certainly not the necklace I was thinking it might be…"

Jennifer gingerly took the package out of the box to inspect it further.

"Personal… _massager_?" She questioned with a look toward her friend. "What am I supposed to _massage_ with this?" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly before her face flushed completely. "Oh my!"

"Now Jennifer…" Andi snickered at her reaction. "You're no prude. And with Jonathan I get the feeling you're more adventurous…"

"Andi!" Jennifer blushed even more. "Adventurous…yeah, that's the word," she mumbled somewhat to herself.

"Come on, Jen. This is me over here. You've told me about some of your escapades with him already and you two aren't even married yet. You mean _toys_ haven't been part of the fun yet?"

Jennifer grinned, looking at the device in her hand and growing a little bolder as Andi reminded her about some of their previous chats.

"No. But…"

"Ah! Don't!" Andi shook her head. "I don't want to know. I don't want to know how you plan to use that thing; when you plan to use that thing… Although if you want to tell me how Jonathan reacts to it…"

"Andrea Prescott!" Jennifer laughed whole heartedly.

She looked down at the vibrator and pressed her lips together. She knew exactly why he wanted her to have this. While length nor thickness compared to him, it just might ease her tensions and allow her to ease his even with a few thousand miles between them.

"How was the bridal shower?" Jonathan asked when he answered her call shortly before 9pm on the West Coast.

"It was fun!" Jennifer answered truthfully. "My aunts are here, a cousin or two that I haven't seen in years and my best friends from college came down. I wish you could've been there with me so you could meet them. You'll meet the family at the wedding, of course, but I don't know when I'll see my sorority sisters again. It was nice."

"Did Andi happen to get you anything special?" Jonathan wondered. He had been waiting days to find out if Jennifer's best girlfriend had followed through on his request.

"Why yes!" Jennifer started. "She gave us a beautiful set of crystal wine goblets and matching candlesticks. I cannot wait to use them for a candlelight dinner in our new home once we move in!" She teased.

"Those sound lovely," he attempted to sound excited but she could hear a bit of disappointment laced in his tone.

"And then…" she could hear the grin spreading on Jonathan's face. "She gave me this little box. She had me open it in front of everyone and said it was from _you_."

"What?" Jonathan's breath hitched.

"My mother was mortified when she saw the playboy bunny on the lid," Jennifer lied.

"Oh, Jennifer, Darling," his tone turned apologetic. "I did not mean…Oh God, I asked her to give it to you privately. I never thought…"

Jennifer laughed, breaking his thought.

"I'm sorry, Darling," she snickered at his reaction. "I apologize, I'm lying. She didn't give it to me until we were in the car, after the shower."

Jonathan let her words sink in for just a moment. "Oh, thank God!" He breathed out, letting her hear his sigh of relief. "I feel like I was making headway with your parents. This little present might set me back."

"Oh, I don't know," Jennifer cajoled. "It's not like you're climbing in through my bedroom window to whisk me away and elope!"

"Don't tempt me," Jonathan breathed in deeply. His thoughts took a quick turn back to the gift, his fiancée, and just how much he needed to be with her.

"Jennifer?"

She knew that voice. A vulnerable Jonathan could talk her into pretty much anything. That much she had already learned about him. "What, Darling?"

"I miss you." Jonathan spoke sincerely.

"And I miss you, too, very much," Jennifer agreed.

"But…" Jonathan nibbled on his bottom lip feeling a little less masculine with what he wanted to say.

"But?" Jennifer raised her eyebrows, holding the phone to her ear and waiting for his response.

"I miss having you beside me in bed. I miss being able to kiss you at night. And…I miss making love to you. I miss hearing…" he hesitated slightly, "I miss hearing you reach that peak…" his voice cracked.

Jennifer swallowed a bit roughly as she began to feel his words deep inside.

"I'm hoping…my little gift may help…us?" he wondered. "What did Andi pick, by the way?"

Jennifer's nose twitched. Oh how she wished there was an instantaneous way that she could share a picture of The Rabbit with Jonathan.

"Well, it's called The Rabbit…" she pulled the gelatinous little creature out of the box on her bedside table.

"A rabbit?" Jonathan questioned.

"What'd you send her to buy?" Jennifer wondered as she began rubbing her thumb over the device.

"Well, I…"

"Oh, please don't get shy on me all of a sudden," Jennifer's voice sounded more assured. "You sent my friend into a sex shop to buy a vibrator for me. Is that what you asked her to do?"

"Well," Jonathan started again. "I asked her if she would pick up a gag gift for the shower. But she reminded me that your mom and aunts would be there and asked if I still wanted her to get something. She kind of guessed that it might not really be a gag gift."

"So now she thinks we need help in the boudoir?" Jennifer touched the rabbit to her bottom lip as she thought and then realized what she was doing. She rolled her eyes at herself, at Jonathan and at the hot pink 'thing' in her hand.

"No," Jonathan almost whined. "Just you."

"Jonathan Hart!"

He laughed. "No, Darling, I'm kidding. I admitted it had been a long few days already and that we missed each other. I told her I just wanted something that might cheer you up and yet have a… practical… use as well."

"Well, at least she didn't attempt to get something to match…you," Jennifer wrapped her hand around the vibrator and gently pushed a button to make it buzz in her hand.

"So, it's not one of those…hard plastic…rod shaped…" Jonathan felt a touch of embarrassment creeping up his neck.

"No…" Jennifer smiled. If he wanted her to use this little gift, they would enjoy it together. "It's not a dildo, Jonathan."

She heard him swallow. "It's about the size of Jon Junior…before I start playing with him. Only it's already as… hard… as it's going to get. You have nothing to be jealous of, believe me."

"Oh, I'm not jealous. I just want to know that you can enjoy it. And, maybe I can help you enjoy it sometime when we're together."

Jennifer's breaths grew short as she looked at the device and wondered how Jonathan might use it to please her.

"I think that can be arranged," Jennifer felt the moisture between her legs begin.

She was wearing one of Jonathan's pajama tops and a pair of bikini panties.

"Jonathan…what would you do with it…if we were together right now?"

He groaned slightly. "I would set it on low and use it to bring you right to the edge."

Jennifer slid the vibrating ears down to her chest slowly. "Would that get you excited? Using this little fellow to touch me…"

Jonathan slowly slid his hand below the waistband of his silk pajama pants that matched the top Jennifer was wearing. "As long as he's the only other 'little fellow' who touches you…it's already exciting me."

Jennifer was smiling the next morning when she came to breakfast. Her father looked at her skeptically. Her mother noticed a glow on her face but absolutely didn't want to know any more about it.

"You seem chipper this morning, Sweetheart. Did you talk to Jonathan last night?" Stephen wondered.

"Mmm-hmmm," Jennifer nodded and smiled as she took a sip of coffee.

"Did Andi say Jonathan had sent a gift to you for the bridal shower?" Suzanne questioned.

Jennifer sat silent for a second as she wondered exactly what Suzanne had heard, or what Andi might have told her.

"He did," she answered carefully. "But it was just a little something to remind me of him." She thought about her words before saying them. "He's my lucky charm, you know, so he sent me a rabbit's foot."

"A rabbit's foot?" Stephen rolled his eyes. "That seems a bit silly for a wedding gift."

Jennifer looked at her mother and thought for another second before turning back to her father.

"Oh, Pa, I don't know. I think I got pretty lucky last night after opening it."

Suzanne practically spit coffee through her nose. Stephen guffawed trying to ignore his daughter's words. And Jennifer? Jennifer grinned her most priceless, mischievous smirk, telling her parents that she meant exactly what she had said.

 **Two Harts – Chapter 25 - Two Harts  
**


	26. Two Harts - Missing Parts - Chapter 26

**Two Harts – Missing Parts  
Chapter 26**

 _Jonathan turned the key in the lock and opened the door of the house at 3100 Willow Pond Road. As the door swung back slowly he turned to his bride of three weeks and held his arms out again._

" _Jonathan," Jennifer grinned. "You've carried me over the threshold about a dozen times now, haven't you? That little inn where we spent our wedding night…that lovely bed and breakfast in Napa Valley…I LOVED the bed in our room, by the way. Do you think there's any way we could get that bed to have here at home?"_

 _She stopped and took a deep breath._

" _What, Darling?" Jonathan continued to hold his arms open, waiting for her to come to him._

" _Home," Jennifer smiled at him, a few tears glistening over her corneas._

 _Jonathan smiled wider. "Yes, Mrs. Hart, we are home."_

 _Jennifer took the couple of steps toward him and wrapped one arm around his neck, allowing him to lift her into his arms and carry her across the threshold of their new home._

" _There," he placed her feet on the floor, just inside the door and they both took a moment to look around._

 _Boxes were sitting here and there in the expansive area that they had toured – and fallen in love with – just weeks before their wedding._

 _Jennifer looked up the stairs toward the bedrooms. Jonathan walked toward the living room where an oak bar was fashioned with bookshelves behind. A tray with two wine glasses sat atop the bar with a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket right next to it. A little farther down the bar was a bottle of Maker's Mark bourbon with a bow tied around the red, hand-dipped wax that dripped down the neck of the glass container._

 _Jonathan reached back for Jennifer's hand, encouraging her to come with him through the currently empty house._

 _He walked toward the bar with her in tow until she noticed the celebratory alcoholic beverages._

" _Max?" She wondered as Jonathan nodded._

" _I'd say that's a good guess. He is the only other one with a key to our house and the security code to get through the gate."_

" _But I thought you liked Jack Daniels whiskey," Jennifer hopped onto one of the barstools as she took a closer look at the bottles._

" _I do," Jonathan smiled. "However your father introduced me to this Kentucky blend at my bachelor's party."_

" _A little bourbon and coke?" Jennifer raised her eyebrows._

" _Mmm-hmm," Jonathan nodded. "I'm guessing this may be a little gift from Stephen."_

" _I'm guessing he wants to remind you of your bachelor's party and that he's keeping an eye out on me, still." The look in Jennifer's eyes told Jonathan that she now wanted a better explanation of the so-called party that included Jonathan, Stephen, Max and Walter._

" _Oh, now Darling," Jonathan reached for the bottle of bourbon and noticed the little card attached to the bow. "You he trusts. I'm the one he's keeping an eye on. Remember what your father said when he gave you away?" Jonathan raised his own eyebrows and shook his head slightly as they both thought back to the simple, yet elegant, wedding ceremony._

 _Jennifer bit on her bottom lip and smiled. "The priest asked, 'Who gives this woman to be wed?' and Pa said, 'Her mother and I do…as long as Mr. Hart takes care of her.'"_

 _Jonathan nodded with a wistful grin. "And I heard him tell you that your room will always be made up and ready for you to return should you NEED to."_

 _They both stared into each other's eyes as Jonathan began the task of uncorking the champagne._

" _It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it?" He looked deeply into her eyes, meaning every thought that he was speaking._

" _Jonathan," Jennifer blinked to break his spell and began looking at his lips. "Are you forgetting about my heel breaking and Aunt Martha falling into the stained glass window?"_

" _No," he bent slightly to catch her eyes again with his. "I could care less about your shoes. I'll buy you a hundred pairs. And Aunt Martha is fine. Her pride is bruised more than she is. All that mattered to me was that I put that ring on your finger and we both said, 'I do'."_

 _He looked away from her just long enough to pop the cork on the champagne bottle and sip the foam that ran over the top. And he watched when Jennifer reached with one finger to catch a little of the sweet liquid as it dribbled over the label._

 _Jonathan caught her hand before she could put her finger in her mouth. He looked back at her eyes and instead redirected her fingertip to his own lips, where he gently sucked and licked until he noted her holding her breath._

" _Breathe, Darling, please," he spoke lightly and winked at her as he continued flicking his tongue over her fingertip._

" _Jonathan," she spoke breathlessly, pulled her hand out of his and then quirked her finger at him with a smile, inviting him to come closer to her._

" _Yes, Sweetheart?" He grinned._

" _I'd like a taste of champagne, too," she attempted._

" _I was planning to pour a glass for you," he teased._

" _Jonathan," she admonished with eyes flickering back and forth between his eyes and his mouth._

 _He grinned even wider as she hooked her finger under his chin and pulled his face toward hers. "This isn't fair," she spoke against his lips._

" _What's not fair?" Jonathan whispered and placed a soft kiss against her lips._

" _All you have to do is look at me," Jennifer closed her eyes as she felt his lips against hers and wanted more._

" _Why isn't that fair?" Jonathan asked, attempting to keep his eyes open to simply watch her._

" _I don't know…" Jennifer responded after a few more quick kisses._

 _Jonathan smiled as he finally closed his own eyes and pressed his lips more firmly against hers._

 _They had had numerous discussions like this already. Ones that were seemingly harmless, and yet when he looked into her eyes he got lost and had to find a way to get his lips and hands on her._

 _And then…in the middle of trying to dissuade him…her train of thought would derail and the two would be completely lost in each other._

 _She was right, it wasn't fair. Because of IT they had several unfinished conversations. Because of IT they hadn't seen much of their honeymoon destinations. Because of IT they had thoroughly enjoyed those destinations for purely personal reasons, christening rooms throughout their travels._

 _And before either of them knew exactly how it happened they had christened their new home, on the floor, in front of the fireplace, using only their clothes as a barrier between them and the hard wood floor._

 _An hour later a buzz sounded from the kitchen._

 _The couple looked at each other, still stealing kisses with thoughts far away from anything in the real world._

 _Jennifer looked down at Jonathan's shirt that was covering her upper body. Jonathan reached slowly for his pants to at least clothe his lower extremities._

" _What is that?" she wondered as the buzz sounded again._

 _Jonathan pulled himself up from the floor and wandered toward the room that sat through the swinging door. Jennifer admired his backside as he walked away, then realized that she might need to cover herself a little better before traipsing after him._

 _He saw the blinking button on the wall just inside the kitchen and pushed another button next to the speaker. "Hello?"_

" _Hey, Mr. H., I thought you two should be home by now. Thought I better give you a little warning before just walking in the front door, seein' as how you and Mrs. H. are just gettin' back from honeymooning and all."_

 _Jonathan looked down as his disheveled pants, unbuckled belt and naked torso. His old friend was brilliant, thank God. "Yeah, uh, Max…are you at the gate?"_

" _Yeah, Mr. H. I went to get some groceries and other things I thought you might need. I just figured I'd drop them by the house and check on you two then I'm going with Big Miller to a weekend poker game. Unless you need me to start putting the house together and all."_

" _Well, to be honest with you, Max… Mrs. H. and I haven't even made it to the second floor yet… Soooo…" He turned around as Jennifer walked through the door wearing just his shirt which fell to her thighs._

 _Jonathan stood with his finger on the button as he stared._

" _What is it?" Jennifer wondered feigning innocence._

" _You're killing me," Jonathan kept a completely straight face and somehow kept his breathing steady._

" _Is somebody on the other end of that buzzer?" she looked at her husband and asked quietly._

 _Jonathan looked back at his finger and the security panel. He let go of the button and waited just a second._

" _Mr. H?" Max spoke again. "Why do I get the feeling I should come back later?"_

 _Jennifer put a finger on Jonathan's lips and grinned at him. She pushed the button and leaned her face a little closer to the microphone. "Max?"_

" _Hey, Mrs. H.! Everything okay?"_

" _Yes, Max. It's good to hear your voice! We are just beginning to get settled in. A little jet-lagged. You know how Jonathan is after a long flight. Can you give us maybe a half hour?"_

 _Max sat in the Bentley shaking his head and rolling his eyes. 'Translation – they're naked again and can't find their clothes and I almost interrupted them…again.'_

" _Sure thing, Mrs. H. Listen, I had the movers put your bed in the master bedroom and the dresser and chest of drawers should be up there as well. There are a few boxes of clothes and kitchen stuff sitting around. Between that and what I have in the car right now, I hope you'll have enough to make it through the night. They're scheduled to bring the rest of the stuff over on Monday."_

" _That'll be fine, Max," Jennifer answered. She moved her hand to Jonathan's bare chest, puckered her lips and blew a kiss in his direction._

" _Alright, then," Max responded. "I'll see you in about a half hour. Hey, Mr. and Mrs. H – I love the sound of that, by the way – I'd really rather not see TOO much of yous, if you know what I mean. I put a couple of bathrobes in the master bath that might come in handy."_

 _Jonathan wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her closer to him. They both grinned like guilty teens who had nearly been caught in the act. Jennifer blushed at the thought. Jonathan directed his head toward the intercom again and Jennifer pushed the button one more time._

" _Thanks, Max." Jonathan found himself getting lost in Jennifer's eyes yet again. "It's good to be home."_

 **Two Harts – Missing Parts**

 **The End**


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